Now That I'm An XMan
by Cougar9
Summary: Demanded sequel to "How I Joined the XMen". Probably should read that first. Its about a young adult who is now part of her own team of the XMen and her struggles to play the teacher, the hero, the friend and now the sister. FINISHED! R
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men. Really wish I did though...

Back by fan-demand...Cougar!

This fic is a sequel to "How I Joined the X-Men". You might be able to follow the plot without reading it, but it'd be MUCH easier if you did read it first (and reviews...) Anyway, Cougar and her team trained and learned at the Xavier's school in New York for three years. They were established as a sub team in Denver, Colorado, and have been there for two and a half more years, just having been deemed 'capable of housing students' a year ago.  
Enjoy! Review.

Now That I'm an X-Man

Chapter 1

Sometimes you just have the feeling that you're being followed. Could be paranoia. But if one has the ability to virtually disappear , it's probably a fact. After ducking through my third alley, I decide to stay in the shadows. My mutation is an odd assortment. Cat eyes (with all the perks of night vision), teeth and claws; the ability to go unnoticed, which gives me partial imunity from psychics; and I can walk on snow. That last part isn't exactly helpful at this time.

My stalker rounds the corner casually. Stopping in his tracks, he gives a small sniff and looks directly at me.

"Yer gettin' better at that."

"Wolverine," I greet, a little surprised. "Maybe yer just gettin' worse." I step out of the shadows toward my old teacher.

"What're ya doin' out here? Mission?" he joins me, hands stuffed into his jacket pockets and we take to the street.

"Naw," I mimick his posture, but with out the coat. "I just had ta get outta the hotel before I punched Joseph. What about you? What're ya doin' in Denver?"

He gives a shrug, "Checkin' on my team."

I turn slightly to look up at him, "We graduated three years ago and have been posted here for two and a half. You've never come just ta 'check up on' us before, at least not alone. And we're not due for another evaluation for two more months."

He scowls at me, a familiar expression, "Yea? Maybe I had ta leave before I punched Summers."

"Heh," I smirk, "It's just a feral thing, right? Hating authority?"

"Naw, he's just a dick."

This really makes me laugh.

Wolverine turns to more sobering conversation, "So did ya go ta the funeral?"

"Yea. We all did. Pretty big service. I didn't see you there." We're talking about Jean Grey-Summer's funeral. Her most recent death had something to do with Logan, I know, and the Magneto threat. I'm not too sure. But while I was there, I did find out that Mr. Summers was apparently boinking the infamous Emma Frost. I'd never had to deal with the woman but on one occasion and we didn't much care for eachother. I'm a bitch. So is she. End of story.

"Wasn't there," he answers me. From his tone I know that it's all he'll say.

"Hey, you brought it up." He grunts at me and I continue, "So Frost is the new Headmistress, huh? How's that? More importantly, is there a dress code anymore?"

He replies with a short laugh and shakes his head, "Damn woman drives me nuts."

"Darn, wish I was there," I answer sarcastically as the hotel comes into view. The Denver Branch of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters (try saying that five times fast) has just recently opened up, publically. And publically, it's a private school for hand-chosen children. The no-duh part is that it houses the Beta X-Men team, four mutant teachers and currently twenty five mutant students. We're a merry bunch except when I want to punch our headmaster, Joseph Niles, in the head. He was also the team leader, by Xavier's choice. I would have chosen Amber, but no one asked for my opinion. We aren't as technologically advanced as our mother-school in New York, but we have a fairly large security system, a 'mini black bird' jet and a basic danger room. It doesn't have any of the holographic stuff, but there is lots of lazers and moving parts ready to crush someone.

When we get to the gate, I punch in my personal code. The pad flips open and I let it scan my hand. With a whirl of mechanics, the gate slides open. "You got a motel or ya gonna stay here?" I lead the X-Man up the impressive-enough steps to the front door and unlock it.

"Ya got a spare room?"

"Several," I then add, "Not that that's a request for more students."

"What? Ya can't handle the ones ya got?"

I shrug and head toward the rec room, where most of my team will be and some of the kids. "I only teach a few classes, but we got two new kids this week and Frost is recommending another to us next week. I'm not a teacher. I'm not even a team player. I just didn't have anything better ta do with my life."

The hot-pink skinned Amber comes into view, "That's not your resignation, is it?" She spares a glance toward Wolverine, then does a double-take, "Mr. Logan!" I grin as she gives him a hug, clearly to his discomfort.

"Amber," he greets stiffly from the hug.

"What're you doing here? I didn't here anything about an inspection. Are you here alone?" she peers over his shoulder.

"Just a visit."

With a frown, I realize that the place is WAY too quiet for 9:30 on a Friday night. "Where is everyone."

"Oh boy did you miss something," she shakes her head, sending her blue hair bobbing. "Not five minutes after you left," she turns to Wolverine, "You know one of our students, Brian? He can make pictures come to life," she turns back to me, "Well five minutes after you leave, Joseph's in the middle of lecturing him about pulling all those pranks--"

"I told Joseph it wasn't him," I cut her off, very annoyed. It was the reason why I'd left.

"I know, but who else could fill the girls locker room with mice, right?" She shakes her head again and continues, "Anyway, halfway through his lecture, Dani comes barelling into his office speaking a mile a minute and all we can understand is something about bats."

"Bats?" I ask. This is all very confusing.

"Yea. So we run out here and Ana's screaming cuz the whole entry way is full of bats. Apparently she's scared of the. And Conner is tyin to calm her down while geting all the students back in their class rooms and the teachers are opening up windows and doors. It was crazy.So that was proof that it wasn't Brian. And don't say I told you so either." Proof that we've been living together too long, I was just about to say that..."And now Joseph is addressing the whole school about it."

I roll my eyes and groan, "Is it his 'unacceptable behavior' speech?" Swear to God he stole it from Cyclops...

A bright smile, "Of Course!"

"'They in the gym?" I ask ungrammatically (see, they won't even let me SUBSTITUTE teach English class...like I really want to).

"Yea, and the rest of the team and the teachers too."

"Am I suppose ta go?" I grimace at the very thought.

"I was sent to fetch you when the gate told us you'd arrived." She's unsympathetic, curse her.

With a heavy sigh, I start toward the gymnasium. To Wolverine I add over my shoulder, "You can get settled in yer room if ya want. The kitchen hasn't moved. We don't have any beer."

"You kiddin' me? I wanna see this."

"I doubt it.." I reply emotionlessly.

With a bang, I push open the door and stride in, knowing full well that it annoys the hell outta Joseph when I arrive late into one of his assemblies. Ain't I a stinker?

"Nice of you to join us, Cougar." His gaze flashes to surprise when he see's Mr. Logan take a place on the wall next to the door.

I, myself, head toward the chairs behind him with the rest of my team. Passing by, I quietly say, "Look who I found."

"Uh, well," he falters, then regains his airs, "As I was saying, the entire student body will be up at 6:30 tomorrow for training. You'll be up at 6:30 on Sunday too, and every day after that until someone comes forward with either a confession or information. This behavior is unacceptable, people."

Great. You see, when he says that the student body will be up at 6:30, he means that the faculty, and me importantly, will be up at 6:00 to prepare to work the confessions out of them. Peachy.

"You're all excused. Curfew is moved up to 10 tonight. Be in your rooms by then or you'll be up at 5:30 with Cougar."

My eyebrows shoot up. Ooh, good one, punish the kids for the prank and me for the tardy. Well, I can't let him have the upper hand, can I? Loud enough for them to hear, I add, "You'll be cookin' me breakfast and I'm very meticulous 'bout my eggs."

As the kids clear out, Wolverine joins us up front. The rest of my team greets him warmly. The teachers are polite (if not still a little intimidated), but none of them really hae the kind of bond that my team has with him. Not to sound all mushy or anything, but we did train for three years with the guy.

"So," I sidle my way towards Joseph, "It wasn't Brian."

"No, Cougar, it wasn't," he answers me tightly

"So," I repeat myself, letting him know that I'm not saying, but clearly THINKING 'I told you so', "how do we figgure out who it was? We're not actually gonna wait for one of them ta fess up, are we?"

"Pfft," Ana laughs at me, "You just don't want to get up that early."

"Do YOU want me up that early?" I ask.

Bill, our science teacher puts in, "No one wants you up that early."

They were referring to my sunny disposition in the orning. It's so sunny that if they contradict that statement I'll strangle them with the nearest object. Sunny...

"No," Joseph answers my initial question, "No, I figured we could go over all thier files tonight to maybe get a clue."

Amber sighs, "All right, but if we gotta be up at six tomorrow, I'm not pulling an all nighter."

"Can I say it?" Devon, another one of our teachers asks excitedly. At a groan from everyone else, he announces in a booming voice, "To The Round Table!"

And off we all shuffle to the conference room, which contains an incredibly tacky round table.

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what do ya think? More teacher introductions will be next chapter, i think. I'm typing this when I got the time (which isnt much with work and classes and all that crap). anyway, R&R sorry for any typos, i have long fingernails and its hard to type right now... 


	2. Chapter 2

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YAY! Fans again! Ok, review replies (cuz that's what I do)

Robomustang: I'll try not to disappoint. Flaming really doesn't bug me, its like, constructive criticism or whatever.

Psylock: Hehe, I love your reviews, they're so….inspiring –looks over her shoulder at the pointy pencil—yes, inspiring… I'm actually considering a bit of a family reunion of sorts. We'll have ta see where this goes.

Lady Q: Well, with all the demands, I just felt wrong leaving everyone…:D

AmazonPanther: YES!! More AmazonPanther! I mean….yes, I am back…

Dancergirl: I really liked that morning person part too…it just kinda came to me (I love muses…)

Allenterril: yup, tis' me, again.

SoulMama: love the enthusiasm, I hope I don't disappoint.

Wolf: Yea, you shoulda logged outta me before reviewing…now it looks like im one of those pathetic ppl that needs to review her own stuff…lol. You getta cameo or two, I promise…--shifty eyes—cant give away too much tho.

Quote (I know, I forgot the last one): Enjoy life. There's plenty of time to be dead. –Anon.

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CHAPTER 2

With only twenty five students, it shouldn't take nine people all that long to go over their files. Except that everyone has to go over EVERY file. And then when we still don't figure anything out, we go over them again.

It's half past midnight, and I toss down a folder with a grunt. No one notices, really. I could be a real slacker if it was in me, but its never been in me. "We need music," I get up.

"It's a distraction," Joseph replies without looking up.

"I could go nuts from boredom and start killin' people. Would that be a better distraction?" I smile sweetly.

From his own chair, Wolverine grunts at me; his, not-so-subtle way of telling me to cool it. I mimic his grunt and ignore him for the most part. Flipping through the songs on the computer, I pick one at random and turn back to The Round Table. Everyone's working so hard, even Wolverine. It kind of hits me at how far I've come, how far everyone's come.

At only 23, Joseph Niles is now the headmaster of a school for mutants. He's dropped the 'Snap' from his codename and is just Dragon now, which fits his mossy colored hair.

Amber, Crayola, is as optimistic as ever. She loves being able to help kids, especially because she knows how hard living on the streets can be. Her telekinetic powers have grown over the years and levitating cars is a piece of cake for her now.

Ana Luna's powers have expanded too. Blast could only fire her blue energy at one point; now she's creating energy shields that very few can impregnate. Her last name's due to change in a couple of months too, her and Conner are getting married.

Conner, Medic, is still the 'peace maker' of our bunch. He uses his healing powers to volunteer at emergency rooms, those that will have him. His flying skills have improved from his clumsy first days at team practices. His 13 year old brother, Chris, recently joined our students as a flyer himself. Chris's powers just surfaced, so we're all waiting to see if there's anything else locked in the green-eyed boy.

I, myself, now teach mutant kids self defense and other survival techniques that I'd learned from Wolverine. Once upon a time, I'd shared my real name with my team, but they respected my wishes and I'm still known as only Cougar; or Ms. Cougar to the kids.

We were set up in Denver after three years of intense training at Xavier's. Four teachers joined us, most of them older than us (Joseph, Conner and I are only 23, followed by Amber at 22 and Ana being the 21 year old baby—she hates being called that). Each of the teachers have their own areas of study, but they also teach power control techniques.

Dani Jones is the history and social studies teacher. She's the tall, blond haired, blue eyed bombshell teacher who all the boys drool over. Her powers are astral projection and the ability to bend light waves into holographic images which she uses in her classes. She's quite the chatterbox (her and Amber were roommates back at Xaviers).

Devon King is the resident clown and all around goofball. He's only serious when he teaches his math and computer classes (how boring, right?). His odd power is the ability to turn himself into a liquid. He comes in handy when you lock your keys in your vehicle, though. And, for some odd reason, he's as bald as the Professor was.

Bill McCallen can shape shift into a hawk, which I think is cool. He teaches the sciences and actually makes things interesting. He's really active and has a birds metabolism, which makes me feel good because he'll eat my food when it's my turn to cook. His hair is made of soft feathers and his eyes are permanently a rusty hawk color.

Lisa Patton is our resident telepath. She's pretty powerful where as she knows exactly what's going on in the school at all times. She's the headmistress and works closely with Joseph when she's not teaching English or other foreign languages. Currently, she's getting more training at the New York school, so she can't just tell us who did it. She's a hard nosed teacher and doubtless she'd solve this little mystery in no time.

The song changes and I go back to my seat. Reaching for another folder, my eyes stare at my clawed hand. I pull it back, "Hey, those bats, were they real?"

"Yep," Conner answers, flipping a page, "One actually broke a window."

"The mice were too, right?"

"Yea," from Joseph, "And you were right, it wasn't Brian because he can't keep non-existing things alive for extended periods of time."

"OK, so what if the animals weren't teleported or conjured or whatever? What if they were called here?" Now I got their attention, "The bats could have come from the old church down the block. And the mice could have come from, well, everywhere."

Amber taps her chin, "All right, but none of the kids can talk to animals."

"What about Nathan?" I ask, receiving more than one groan.

Looking over his papers, Logan asks, "Who's Nathan?"

"One of our new students," Amber shuffles through some files, "Oh, their's aren't in here yet." She looked up at Devon, "Could you print out what the computer has on Nathan Pierce and Shawna Bird?"

"On it," he happily leaves the table.

"Hey, it could be him," I restate.

"Nathan," Joseph begins, "can shape shift into a leopard. He's also a feral."

"He's a trouble maker," Ana adds.

"He was one of those kids who was shipped here against their wishes," Devon comes over reading the papers. "Came from a broken family. Dad's an alcoholic, deadbeat; Mom's a pill popper, that kind of situation. Developed his powers at 15, got kicked out of school for assaulting another kid. His mom sent him here. He's been here for four days and already been in two fights."

Conner turns to me, "So what makes you think its Nathan?"

Joseph snorts, "Cuz she can't stand the kid."

I shrug, "Feral thing."

Ana explains quietly to Wolverine, "He really is a problem child an he and Cougar were at it all the time."

He quirks an eyebrow, "Were?"

Again I shrug, "The kid had an attitude problem; I fixed it."

"Meaning?"

Flopping down her own folder, Dani stretched out her arms, "She beat him up."

"Oh, don't make me out ta be some kinda bully," I scowl at her. "The kid was challenging everything I said. I told him ta shut up and he said he didn't need ta be in my class. I told him ta prove it."

From Amber, "It took her ten seconds to pin him."

"Kept tryin', though, gotta give him credit for persistence." It was probably one of my more interesting classes. Didn't end too well. Every time I let him up, he tried again and I stopped him. Eventually, I just kept him pinned and growled at him 'either cool or I'll REALLY hurt ya. This is MY territory. I'm the dominant, and I've proved it, now Sit Down.' Wolf pack psychology. And for the most part he's improved, I thought. "He's the only one who has any connection with animals. Maybe we should look inta it."

Bill tosses his folder into the center of the table, "I can't think of anything else," and looks at Joseph.

My gaze follows his. As much as I dislike the thought, he's got the final say, especially since Lisa's.

"All right. We'll work the kids tomorrow, see if we can get anything else. Keep an eye on him, everyone. Prep meeting starts at 6 A.M. tomorrow, here." See, I told ya.

Immediately, I head toward my room, avoiding everyone else easily. My bed looks so comfortable when it comes into view. I close and lock my door, kick off my shoes and fall face first into a messy pile of blankets and pillows. It'd been a long, hard day. At ten, we'd been notified of an antimutant protest in the city. The location was a high school that was mutant tolerant, something rare in the Midwest. Angry parents and meddling radicals were blocking the busses. It started mild and escalated into a riot. We were given orders from New York to get the kids out of the mess and assist the police. It doesn't work so well if half the force is prejudiced against 'muties' too. Things got real bad when someone ended up cracking Blast's head open on a side walk. Medic healed her, but boy was he pissed. Before anyone could stop him, he'd flown her attacker a hundred feet into the air and they exchanged words. She talked him back down, but it was a tense situation for all of us. He'd exhausted himself on healing her, and he was soon out for the count, too. Bad things get worse when a healer goes down.

The floor creaks behind me and I growl quietly. Pushing myself up, I turn around to see Wolverine watching me. "I locked the door." I state mildly, hopping off the bed to rummage for some pajamas.

"No ya didn't."

"Yea, I did," I go into my unnecessarily large walk in closet to change. Through the door, I ask, "So why exactly are ya here? And don't gimme that crap 'bout ya just checkin up on us. There's always a reason." To myself, I think, 'especially since you singled me out earlier.'

"Lisa said there's been allotta tension around here lately." Ah, there it was.

I come out in blue flannels and an over sized white t-shirt with a steaming cup of coffee on it. "I'm not tense."

He crosses his arms and scowls at me, "Dragon's yer team leader. Ya wanna butt heads with him over a couple students, fine, but keep yer grudges to yerself when yer out in the field. How many times've I told ya that?"

"What are you talkin' about?" I frown up at him, lost.

"Yer mission this morning. You were ordered ta get the kids out and ya went out into the crowd."

I shake my head, a little angrily, "Ya weren't there, Wolverine."

"No, but we got the report."

Throwing up my hands, I make an exasperated noise, "Yea? And who do ya think MAKES the reports? He makes me look like a stubborn kid so Frost and Cyclops send ya down ta give me a lecture. Forget it." I stalk around him to yank open my door and angrily motion him out.

He doesn't move, doesn't even turn around when he says, "I'm not done, Cougar."

"Ya gotta be kiddin' me. Like YOU got room ta talk!" My hand starts cramping from gripping the doorknob so tightly. I drop it and continue heatedly, "You don't know what happened, didn't even ask—"

"Then what happened?" He turns around. He looks calm, but I can see that he's quickly losing patience.

I blink, take a moment to settle down, and reply coolly, "There was a mutant kid we got off the bus. Someone from the crowd nabbed him. I went after him and the attacker started taking swings at me. I stopped him, but he was a COP, Logan, so all of his COP buddies joined in ta stop the rabid lookin' mutant, OK?" Old wound…people see me, or notice me, I should say, and immediately see a bad guy. I have to pause so I don't yell at him, "I took tow of them down before Dragon yanked me outta there and started chewing me out for runnin off ta fight. Still don't believe me?" I start to lift the edge of my shirt, exposing the dark purple marks on my back, sides and stomach left from the police Billy clubs, "I can show you the bruises if ya want…"

"Why didn't ya have Medic fix that?"

I shrug, "I wasn't listed as 'injured' in the report, remember? What's there ta fix? And, hey, I was just out pickin' a fight, I deserve 'em, right?"

He's quiet for a moment, "Why didn't ya tell Joseph."

I drop the shirt, look down and quickly back up. Quieter now, I answer, "Because he didn't believe me. Because after six years, he still doesn't really trust me." Now that statement really hurt to say out loud. "Get out, Wolverine. I'm not yer student anymore, ya don't getta lecture me."

He watches me for a moment, then laves quietly, probably going to go talk to Dragon. I don't care. I'm ready for bed.

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You like? I hope. Sorry for the delay in chapters. Unlike the last one, this one isn't all written out yet, and I don't have computer access, really. SO, ya get what ya get.


	3. Chapter 3

Review Replies (Yay! Lots)

Dancergirl: thanks (for the love, I mean). Yea, impregnate is a bit dramatic, maybe I should change it to 'penetrate'. I'll have to see how much time I have before class…I wanna try to get this chappy out for all of you.

Peteylove: heh, thanks…I think…

Wolf: Good? Good!? It's GOOD?!! That's all I get from YOU! Forget it! You're outta my fic!!...just kidding. But you are out of my will now –angry face—

Lady Q: Cool, a true blue fan, I'm honored. And thanks for the compliment, don't worry, it's already gone to my head, lol.

Psylocke: Yea, you could say that you're my own muse…a muse with a stapler….a pushy muse, hehe. Anyway, I'm trying to get these posted as I write, so you'll just have to do with the short chapters, otherwise, they'd never get posted.

Allenterrill: Sooner or later, I'm gonna have to remember how to spell your name… thanks for the huge compliment, I've read a lot of good stuff on the site, but to be ranked up there is refreshing.

Quote: Not all who wander are lost. –J.R.R. Tolkien

Chapter 3 

The kids are split into rotating groups. I get to work them in the gym. I'm lounging in the bleachers when they shuffle in, unaware of my presence.

"Man, this fXcking sucks, man!" one boy colorfully complains. George, I think his name is. I'm getting better at remembering names now, yay me.

A Latina girl replies, "Ya think? Stupid."

"Shut up, Maria."

The girl forms a fire ball in her hand, "Yea? Or what?"

I sit up and surprise them all by my voice, "How's about all o' ya shut up? Put it away, Maria," I order, being obeyed. I love the power, theses kids fear me. Sorta. "Personally, I don't care if all of ya are innocent. I don't care if all of ya are guilty, either. What I DO care about is that I had ta get up at a quarter ta six this morning and the coffee pot's broken. So. For now, yer all runnin' laps. Get goin'."

"How many?" a petite girl, Shilah, I think, asks quietly.

"I don't know, till I get dizzy watchin' ya." Groans in response, but they all start running.

I let them quit after I've seen all of them forget to lift their feet at least once. "All right, walk a couple and get a drink."

Right then, Wolverine saunters in, watching the panting students. "Nice," he compliments me, "But ya know, when you guys were in trouble, I ran with ya."

"Who said YOU were my role model?" I snort. A truly wicked thought comes to me and I smile, despite myself.

"What?" he asks cautiously.

Standing up on the bleachers, I call the kids over, "Hey, listen up! All of ya know who this is, right?" I point to Wolverine. With the response of wary nods, I continue, "All right, then who ever can pin him for any count is excused for the rest of the day."

"What?" he narrows his eyes at me.

I sit back down and cross my arms, "Don't hurt any of my kids."

Very interesting. Their first attempts assure them that he's not going to be an easy take down, though just looking at him should have tipped them off. They charge him, one at a time. When he easily deflects all of their efforts, they start using powers. Fireballs from Maria, levitating objects from George, he dodges all of them easily. I lean forward, watching a handful of my students fail so completely; harsh, I know. Christian turns the floor into a jello-like consistency. It drains him though, as untrained as he still is, and his weak punches are deflected and he's swatted away. George floats basketballs and backpacks at him with bruising speed to no affect. Maria forms fireball after fireball.

With a frown, I yell out, "Maria, watch where yer throwin' those, you almost hit Shilah." My warning distracts the girl and she gets tossed aside by Logan. The other girl, my forth student continues to make her own attempts, flying for brief periods and trying to kick him in the head. She's little more than an annoying insect to the X-Man.

Inwardly I groan at their attempts. No thoughts of teamwork has yet to enter their young heads. "All right, All right!" I call them off. Panting, they fan out away from their target. "Go sit down." I approach Wolverine, who's barely broken a sweat. "Who can tell me what ya did wrong?"

"Uhmm…"Shilah raises her hand. With my nod, she recites an answer, "We underestimated our opponents strengths, blinding us from his weaknesses."

"No. But if you were in Mr. Nile's class, he'd accept that answer with great enthusiasm." Joseph loved to drill the students with that kind of crap. "You guys completely ignored each other. YOU'RE each other's strengths. But if you don't utilize those strengths, they become weaknesses. Maria almost torched Shilah. When Christian altered the floor molecules, he threw George off balance. You guys need to work as a team, even if you're not planning on becoming a team member. Is any of this getting through to you?" Meek nods answer. Except for George.

Bull shit. He's been specially trained and he's been an X-Man for, like, ever. There's no way one of us could have pinned him, even if we worked as a team."

"Yup," I nod at him. Kids say the darndest things.

The boy blinks at me, "Well, lets see YOU take him on."

Wolverine chuckles beside me, "Sounds fair ta me, teach."

I slant my eyes toward him. He's nice and warmed up; I'm not. That's just one of the many reasons why I won't win. I'd prefer not to go further in depth, if you don't mind. But, I'm not one to ignore a challenge, "What the hell." I shrug.

It's the same as usual. We begin by circling eachother, me warily, him tauntingly. We both take a couple jabs, kicks, punches, but its just a preview of what's to come.

I land the first blow, a hard kick to the face. I use all the power I have. It would have dropped any other man, but he just bleeds a little and heals. I dodge his fist, duck under a roundhouse kick and leap away from another punch. Look, I'm a dancer!Really, I'm not trying to make myself look graceful or anything, I just don't like being hit, especially by him.

Abruptly he charges. I try to use his momentum for a throw, but he counters with an effective block. I still manage to rip my claws through his forearm. My students 'ooh' my work.

"Ya really wanna bring out the claws?" he asks. Its an old sparring rule that was established when he decided that I was too dependant on my 'unskilled' slashing technique: I use mine, he uses his.

I think his question over, taking a little too much time and get nailed in the face. Staggering back, I try not to fall to the floor; he DOES have metal laced bones, after all. The taste of my own blood in my mouth rushes my answer. "If I'm utilizing all of my strengths," I spit red, "then claws are in." I launch myself at him. Close range means that he can't kick or punch.

It's a frustrating match. He doesn't pop his claws immediately. We wrestle for awhile, throw each other a bit, but I see the briefest opportunity and I take it, knowing that it'll cost me.

He's got me in an arm lock, but his midsection is exposed. My free hand shoots out and I feel my claws slice through the thin shirt material, break through his skin and dig in even deeper. I rake them sideways, tearing through the flesh and muscles. He roars in my ear and drops me.

My students have different reactions to my savageness.

Christian sounds excited, "Oh, frickin' COOL!"

Maria moans, "I think I'm gonna be sick…" 

Shilah says something, but I'm not listening to them anymore. There's a new noise that I've been dreading…

--SNICKT—

I dart away just as his metal claws steak toward me. The three parallel cuts on my side are just starting to sting as the four that I'd left on him knit up. Stupid healing factor. The deep growl rumbling through my chest is stopped by my pressed lips. He growls back, openly, challengingly. Well, the claws are out, I guess. I lunge, letting my rational thoughts slide away and be replaced with instinct, self preservation, bloodlust. Like always, I fight in a red haze, no concept of time, space or my surroundings other than the briefest awareness that there are no other threats. My goal is to maim, kill if I must, but ultimately to do as much harm with my inhumanly sharp teeth and my claws as possible.

But my opponent is bigger, stronger, and more experienced. I leave more marks on him than he does on me, but his are replaced with whole flesh, mine ooze blood. With a horrible force, he slams me into the hard wood floor and his deadly claws shoot toward my throat; one on either side, warm against my skin, and the middle halfway extended and barely touching me. Wolverine looms over me, pinning my struggling wrists above my head with one hand.

"Tap out," he growls at me.

Snarling back, I wrest a hand free and, quick as a wink, clutch his own throat.

The middle spike presses down, "Don't. You won't win. You know that."

And I do…Ready gang?

XXX FLASH BACK!! (No you are NOT done with them, that was the last fic.)XXX

Setting: Danger Room

Time: About 4 years earlier.

Wolverine had pitted himself against my whole team, and I was the last man standing, sort of. I was pinned, actually, but I had his throat in my claws. He was trying to talk me out of my feral rage and I'd have none of it.

"Yer pinned, Cougar. Tap out."

Every word he says tightened my grip and blood started pricking up around the tips of my claws. I tried to sit up and he slammed my shoulders back into the metal floor. With a snarl, I snapped my teeth at his face, just out of reach. I'd bitten him once already and the blood in my mouth was what triggered my lack of will.

"Cool it," he barked, slamming me again. "Cougar—glck…" My claws tore into his soft throat.

Then he stabbed me.

My eyes widened at it, the spike in my throat. Wolverine released my one wrist and retracted my claws. With a gurgled noise, he grabbed me by the arms and threw me halfway across the room and into the wall.

Too concerned with the new hole in my throat, I didn't tuck my chin down, causing my head to slam into the metal. Disoriented, I stumbled to my hands and knees in time to see him storm toward me. "Medic," he snapped at Conner. Unceremoniously, he grabbed my shoulder and flipped me onto my back. "Hold still," he ordered, though it really was more of a threat. Of course I began struggling.

I almost hit Conner the next time he threw me. Before I could reorganize my thoughts, he was on top of me again, pinning me to the floor. "Hold Still," he repeated. I froze, eyes wide up at him. Medic rushed over. I began to struggle again as his hand rested on my puncture wound. My breathing was ragged and quick and my heart was racing.

Wolverine spoke quietly to me this time, "Calm down, it's all right. Yer all right."

Conner's hand burned where it touched me and I tried to pull away. I was still lost in my feral nature, but this was a whole new end of the spectrum. I was terrified, not angry; I wanted to run and hide, not rip his arm off for touching me.

"It's all right, Cougar, calm down," Wolverine's gravelly voiced continued, "Just breathe, settle down."

Conner pulled away, looking scared himself, "I'm done. Is she gonna be ok?"

"Yea," he looked up, still pinning my wrists to the floor and ordered the team, "Class is over." When he looked back down at me, I cringed and tried to squirm away. "Cougar, close yer eyes… Close yer eyes, kid." He let go of one wrist to cover my eyes with his hand. "Now just breathe. In and out. Settle down, yer Ok."

After a few minutes I was back to myself. Wolverine stood up and offered me a boost to my feet. "Ya all right now, kid?"

My legs were like rubber bands and my insides felt like jello. "No…No, I'm not…What…what happened?" I shook my head, making myself dizzy.

"Fight or flight instincts. Ya lost the fight so ya tried ta run. But I couldn't let ya run around with a hole in yer throat." He paused, blinking, "Go outside and walk it off. I gotta see Summers." And he strode away.

I followed, at a fair distance, right to Xavier's office.

Cyclops, Mr. Summers, was there, filling in for the Professor. His arms were crossed over his chest and he had a very angry look on his face. My presence was unknown. Wolverine couldn't pick up my scent, we were both covered in each other's blood; sweat; and my fear. Plus he was smoking one of those nasty cigars. "Where's Jeanie?" He asked casually.

"In class. I had her call you here after she informed me that you impaled on of the students, Logan." Wow, he sounded mad.

"I warned her-"

"You stabbed her!" Cyclops cut him off.

My teacher gave him a dirty look and continued, "The kid lost it and I gave her her options."

"You also threw her into a wall."

He looked unflustered, "Yea."

Summer's nearly shouted back, "What kind of option is that? You could have seriously injured her, besides the part where you slit her throat." Exaggeration: it was only a hole…

"Medic was there," Wolverine still wasn't yelling, surprisingly.

"And what if he hadn't been?"

"What's it matter, he was."

The other man's jaw clenched and he replied through his teeth, "This is completely unacceptable, Logan. You can't STAB the students. You're off the schedule until further notice."

Wolverine opened his mouth, but I cut him off this time, "Don't do that." They both looked at me in surprise.

Summers was the first to yell at me, "You weren't asked here, Cougar."

Wolverine just ordered, "Get out."

I looked at him like he was stupid, "No." Then I turned back to the other man, "Look, Cyclops, he was right. I lost it and I coulda prevented it, or even stopped it if I'd tried hard enough. But I used the whole 'feral' thing as an excuse, sorta. I need ta try harder and ta get it under control, like he's been telling me. I just finally got it today, that's all."

He shook his head at me, "That's great, but you still have no say in this. He needs to learn to control himself too. I can't put other kids into dangerous situations like that."

"Are you dense?" I asked, completely out of line, "We're training ta be X-Men. If we didn't want ta be in dangerous situations, we wouldn't have signed on. And as fore the other kids, they're mutants. Like it or not, fair or not, their lives ARE dangerous. If anything, we NEED these situations ta help teach us how ta deal with much worse ones in the future."

They both stared at me. Great. Finally, Summers answered me thoughtfully, "I'll take your opinion into account, Cougar. Thank you."

Anyway, Wolverine was teaching the next day and Cyclops recommended me as team leader to Xavier. This really ticked off Joseph (Cyclops was his role model) and surprised the heck out of me. I'd declined the nomination, but I probably wouldn't have gotten the spot anyway. I'm not the leader type.

XXX END OF FLASH BACK. PRESENT TIME XXX

"Tap out," Wolverine repeats.

"Or…" I growl back; my knee connecting solidly with his groin, "Not." His eyes go wide this time and he stiffens. I push him away and get to my feet, muttering, "Heal from that."

"Ooh," the kids are sympathetic with him. I manage to scowl at them before he sweeps his arm around and knocks my feet out from under me. I hit the floor and get the wind knocked out of me. We both stay down for a few moments.

"All right," I say tightly from the ground, then cough, "Any questions?" When they don't answer, I prompt, "Eh?"

"…No…" They answer collectively.

"Good. Well," with a muffled groan, I sit up. Boy am I sore today, "Its about time for the groups ta switch. Head on out ta Mr. Bill at the football field." It's surprising how many of these kids don't get my Mr. Bill jokes. 'Oh, No! Mr. Bill!' No…? No one? I'm too old.

As the last of them shuffle out, I turn back to Wolverine with his ever-present scowl. "What?" I ask, innocently.

"Do that again," he stands up and offers me a boost, which I take, despite his upcoming threat, "I'll show ya what yer insides look like."

Examining the scratches he left on my arm, I reply off-handedly, "Too late, Creed already did. Kinda nasty anatomy lesson." I was gonna have these scars all through winter now… I look up to see him giving me a weird look. I hate that look. Whenever I mention anything about my pre-X-Men days; especially if it has to do with Sabertooth; he gives me that look. It's a cross between discomfort, anger, and pity. It's the last part that I can't stand. I can feel my face harden, "Don't look at me like that," I snap.

Like what?"

My scowl could rival his, "You know what." I stalk past him to the first aid kid hanging on the wall. "How long're ya stayin' here, anyway?" I pull out some disinfectant wipes.

"Why? Ya getting sick of me?"

"Yea." Ow…alcohol burns…ow… He snorts at me but I ignore him. As the doors open, I look up to see Amber, pink hands on hips and a vague look of disapproval on her face.

"He's here for a visit, not to be a training dummy."

I gesture toward her and say to Wolverine, "She just called you a dummy."

"You're so funny, Cougar," she rolls here eyes at me. "Anyway, everyone's coming here for now, Joseph's got another lecture."

My face scowls again, "I have to go to the bathroom…at the other end of the hotel…"

She shakes her head, "You might wanna be here for this one. Nathan's MIA and now we gotta see what everyone else knows."

Joseph walks in next, followed by a whole mass of kids…too late, I'm here for the speech. Goody.

XXXXXXXXXX

This was NINE pages LONG. It's NOT too short. And I'm gonna be late for class posting it. REVIEW!!


	4. Chapter 4

-1**Review Replies:**

Soul Mama: thanks for the enthusiasm. I love woots (make me feel special). And I don't know if Josephs going to get his butt kicked by Cougar yet. Its definitely a possibility though.

Wolfy: Well, here you are. And if I have you kill ppl or hurt them, well, that's gonna make you a bad guy. And I'd have to defeat you. Because its my fic. And I AM GOD (in my fic anyway). Power hungry, aint I?

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Is this a new name? anyway, yay for X-Nerdiness (that's not a real word either). Hehe, I don't mind the pushy, makes me actually work.

Sadly, I must admit that my plot bunnies have died from exhaustion during the making of the last chapter (Don't kill me PETA!). They have now been replaced with quicker and much more efficient rats. --nods--.

And you better be happy with that last chapter, it was NINE pages long…--mutters quietly about slave drivers-- I don't think this one's as long, but it was a good place for a break, so live with what ya get.

Robomustang: I hate hate HATE writing fight scenes. I'm always afraid of repeating myself too much or using the same moves too often. This is definitely gonna be a chapter for you though. Hope its not disappointing.

Lady Q: Sweet! I've been 'Huzzah'd! lets see what you make of this chapter though (I'm not too fond of it, myself). I like that little signature thing you have too, the whole dawn makes its last bow is really poetic.

Allen Terrill: Wolverine's always been my favorite character (followed closely by Gambit), and when I initially thought up the cougar character, I really wanted her to have a kind of useless look-like-a-freak mutation (though then she wouldn't have any actual adventures, very dry reading). She's really grown and, being a student of Wolverine, I'd like to think that she could hold her own against him, too. Don't know if she'd win, but its pretty to think so.

Peteylove: yea, sorry. If I'd ever seen Dani in the cartoons or read about her in the comics, she'd most likely at least have a cameo, but I'd hate to write about her and get her character all wrong.

dancer girl: hehe, thanks, I aim to please.

Dryad Mage: YAY! New Fan (I think?). Thanks. And work on your fic, writing can be very therapeutic…if your having a bad day, write about someone punching someone else, it releases stress (but don't do it in real life…could end up badly…hehe)

**Note to all: **I have my own puter now (Yay to Wolfy's boy friend for selling me one cheap). So, I'm trying to type the rest of this as fast as I can write it. I'm one of those weird writers that needs to see things on paper first before typing them up. Humor my quirkiness…

**Disclaimer: **(I forgot this earlier) I don't own them. REALLY WISH I DID THOUGH.

Quote: My husband said he needed more space. So I locked him outside. --Roseanne Barr

Chapter 4

Five minutes. We're not five minutes into Dragon's lecture, if even, and I haven't heard a word he's said. Its not that he's boring; he's always boring and I've managed to pay closer attention before. I'm just…distracted.

For the tenth time, I shift in my seat. Restless, that's the word for it. My gaze flicks around the students faces, to the back of Dragon's head, to the pool of blood still on the floor. I uncross, then re-cross my legs. Something's nagging at me, almost like an annoying mosquito at the edge of my brain. Maybe some psychic's trying to pinpoint me. I let my eyes fall to my hands resting on my lap. The claws are red now, a brownish red from Wolverine's drying blood. The right glove is sticky with it. I pull it off, stare at the faint white scars covering my palm. When I make a fist, the claws don't really hurt. Its when I punch that's the problem, they pierce the skin. It wasn't a problem training with Sabertooth, I just swiped at him. But at Xavier's I had to learn new stuff, I had to bleed. Dr. McCoy set me up with these special gloves; no fingers and the palm was made from some tough material. He had some kinda scientific name for it. Those were a part of y uniform. For training or teaching or when I walked the streets I just wore bike gloves with the fingers cut off and a leather palm.

Nagging, nagging, nagging. I slip the glove back on and scan the room. Then I know what's wrong…Some one is trespassing in my territory. Some ones.

I shoot to my feet, interrupting Joseph's speech in mid sentence with a growl. He turns toward me, a little confused. I take two steps before the gym doors burst open and they waltz right through my friggin' boundaries.

The first one in is a huge man, a bear of a man with a black beard covering half of his face and shiny black eyes that narrow at me. Two, three, maybe four large wolves fan out behind him. A girl with a Mohawk and cheetah fur strides in wearing large combat boots. An ape man pushes his bulk through the door. More come in after him; ferals, all of them. I can feel them in the back of my brain, crawling over y skin and making the hair at the nape of my neck stand on end.

The bear speaks first in a booming voice that drowns out the curious murmur of our students, "Hello, Little X-Men," He smiles widely, showing nasty fangs. "We're the Pack and this is our territory now. Oh, I know what you're thinking," he looks at me, "I should have asked before I barged in; but, kitty cat, you're out numbered."

"Wanna bet?" Dragon's challenge drowns out my growl at the name. The rest of my teammates are on their feet and the teachers are already placing themselves between the intruders and the kids. They're spreading the word, 'evac 3'. Evacuate the premises to safe house three. The bear's gaze flicks to the slowly moving student's, "I don't think so, not yet."

I don't turn to see the second group come through the other set of doors; I don't take my eyes of the leader. "What exactly is the point of yer grandstandin'? Why're ya here?"

He gives me another wide smile that reminds me a little too much of Sabertooth, "You should know, kitty cat. When one pack takes over new territory, they have to kill the occupying pack." He looks over the students and licks his black lips, "And kill the cubs too, of course."

For the first time, Wolverine speaks up, "Who the hell are you, bub?"

"A real X-Man huh?" the bear asks. He glances over his shoulder at a Leopard I just noticed…Nathan, the little traitor. "Well, Wolverine, I'm called Grendel."

The X-Man's eyes narrow as he replies, "Well, Grendel, I suggest ya get the hell outta here."

All at once, the intruders start edging forward, "No, I don't think so." And then the fight starts.

Wolverine launches himself at Grendel, who's morphed almost instantly into a hideously looking…monster. Medic takes to the air, Blast dodges past the four wolves that were headed toward the students and puts up her shield, stopping them cold and knocking out the two closest.

A couple of the better trained students go on the offense, Maria and her fire balls included. The floor under me cracks and plant tendrils begin shooting out. Then the cheetah girl leaps in front of me.

She hisses at me with abnormal fang, and gives her hands a slight shake, popping out pointy little claws. I hold up my own, "Copy cat," and aim a kick toward her head.

She dodges effortlessly and lashes out with her paws. I side step, tow more times. Its all she does is swipe at me and I realize how untrained she is. I catch a hold of her wrist on her next attempt and swing her around and into an arm lock. I crank up on the captured arm until she screams and I hear a 'pop'. I let her fall and leave her with a hard kick under her chin. She'll stay down for long enough.

Clasping my hands together, I bring them down hard on the head of a leathery skinned alligator creature that was snapping his impressive jaws at Crayola.

"Thanks," she replies bubbly. Telekinetically picking up the ape man, she bowls him into Nathan. "By the way, did you notice your old friend over there," she jerks her thumb behind her and I follow the gesture.

"Heh. Excuse me while I go say hi," I smile humorously. I stride through half the room, pausing to kick at a snarling hyena, almost get hit by a chair and then land a good hard punch on the back of my targets neck. "VIPER, old pal, why didn't ya tell me ya were in town?"

Picking himself up, he turns with a hiss, "Cougar, I'm gonna enjoy this." His arm whips out and I duck.

"Ya shoulda called," I continue cheerfully, dodging his foot by a hair. "We coulda gone out and grabbed a bite at eat," I block a series of punches, "I know this great pet shop that sells pinkie mice."

Again he hisses at me and springs forward with a serpent's speed. We both tumble to the floor and he wraps his cold hands around my throat, "Your teacher's not here to save you now," he leers down at me.

"As I recall," I squeeze out, "It was you that needed the savin'." With one hand, I lath onto his throat, holding him in place as the other hand rakes across his face. "Ya shoulda paid closer attention in school." He screams and tries to pull away, but I bring him in closer to knee him in the stomach as I recite, "Keep you're vulnerable parts, your head, neck and midsection away from your opponents reach." I roll us both over so that I'm on the top, "Of course, you're suppose to keep your center of gravity too. You really were a slacker weren't you?" I ask.

He snarls at me and tries to pull the same stunt I did, "Suck my--"

I punch him hard enough to hurt MY hand, "That kinda language aint appreciated." Ignoring the pain, I go for another blow, but detect gray blur streaking toward me. I roll away and watch a large wolf sail over the spot I'd previously occupied. I'm on my feet by the time it turns to snarl at me. "My what large teeth you have…" I square myself against my opponent. Needlessly, though, a blue spark of energy comes out of the floor and wraps itself around the mutt, electrocuting it. One of the students, Frankie, is standing a few feet away. He looks a little pale, but gives me a thumbs up and moves on to another target.

Turning back to Viper, I see the cheetah girl helping him to his feet. Her eyes look scared and she's urging him to hurry. I think they're retreating and when I look around the room, the fallen are being snuck away while the hardy continue to fight. Wolverine's tearing into Grendel, but he seems unfazed and I notice that he possesses a healing power too. The floor shakes under me and I'm pitched forward onto the shattered basketball court. When I turn around, I see the ape man being bound by Dragon's vines. I meet my team leaders eyes from across the room for a split second before he turns to other matters. He saved my hide by slowing King Kong down, but now he's my problem.

The mutant jerks one arm free of the bindings and starts to tear off the others. Taking a step back, I eyeball the situation. He's probably two times my height, and four times my bulk, if not more. With a grunt, he swings a meaty fist in my direction, still hindered by the remaining vines.

"Boy, this aint lookin' pretty…" Fight or flight instincts are definitely in favor of flight. Not an option; I don't want him up against the students. He takes another swing at me and I jump back.

"What's wrong, little girl?" he rumbles at me, "Don't you want to play?" His fist flies toward my face.

Ducking down, I roll and scuttle my way to the left. Duh, physics; big things move slower. "Boys who don't play nice don't get to play at all," I dart to his left, dodge his hammer fist by a mile and dive under his legs. Before he can turn around, I jump onto his back and latch on with my claws. Like a cat on a tree, I climb up him as he turns circles trying to reach around and grab me. Just barely, I get my arms around his massive neck and squeeze.

"Heh, heh," his laugh vibrates through his body, "Gotta try harder than that, girly." A fist comes plowing back towards me and slams into my left shoulder.

I can't help but to cry out. He nearly dislocated my shoulder and any harder of a blow might break something. I aqueeze his neck harder. He's got too much fur, too much bulk around it and I doubt that I'm choking him, or even cutting off the blood flow.

He reaches back again and pries his pudgy fingers under my arm. With a savage shake, he loosens my hold enough to pull me back around and slings me hard into the ground.

The air rushes from my lugs. From the ground, I can see Blast, only a few yards from me and on the floor with a large gash on her forehead. Her force field's down. The students are unprotected. I'm launched into the air again as he swings me through the air like a rag doll. I still have no air in my lungs to give up, so I only make an odd sort of strangled noise. From my new position on the floor, I can see a rusty colored hawk battling a much larger raptor in the air. I think Bill's losing…

"What's wrong girly? No fight left? You didn't actually think you had a--" A glowing card explodes against his chest. He staggers back, letting go of my arm. Another card flies at him.

A Cajun voice comes from somewhere to my right, "Why don' you pick on someone yo' own size, mon ami?"

Kong bares his ape fangs at Gambit, "How about I pick on _you?_" and leaps over me with an angry snarl.

Turning my head hurts, but I do it anyway to see Gambit, throwing cards like a madman, and behind him is Rogue, swinging a surprised black panther around by its tail. The Cavalry's here.

With a loud popping noise and the stench of sulfur, Nightcrawler looms over me, "Are you all right, Cougar?" I didn't even know that Mr. Wagner was back in the states, let alone donning an X-Man uniform. He offers me a three-fingered hand.

Accepting his help, I struggle up to my feet and groan, "Yea, I'm great." Already, I'm searching the ceiling for Medic. "Blast is down. She needs more help than I do." I can't find Conner. I try to spot him through the chaos on the floor; no luck. Still using Nightcrawler as a crutch, I cautiously move toward Ana. Once I'm sure I won't fall, I let him go and make my way to my teammate.

She's breathing, steadily, but the wound on her head is still bleeding. "Blast, wake up," I give her the slightest shake and her eyes move under the lids. But that's all I get. Someone screams and my attention is torn away from her and toward the huddled students. The wolves are racing through them, biting and snapping. They're breaking up the herd so its easier to take down individuals. Injuries forgotten (or at least ignored), I race toward them.

"Stay Together!" I order, going mostly unheard. Using my claws to grip the scruff of one of the mutt's neck, I yank it off its feet and pull it back and away from a small group. It growls and turns to sink its teeth into me, and I let go quickly. "Dirty dog," I growl back. We glare at each other until both of our attention is diverted by a loud scream coming from Grendel. HA! Wolverine's winning.

The wolf darts away from me. I notice more of the Pack is running toward the doors.

"Gambit!" Rogue hollers. The southern woman points to the middle of the room where our youngest student is facing a gray and black wolf.

"Emma Don't Move!" I shout to the four year old. Already I'm rushing toward her. Something stops me dead, "…Nay??!!" The wolf turns to look at me with off-blue eyes, head cocked to one side in confusion. Without thinking, I turn and lunge at Gambit and his glowing card, "Gambit, No--"

The card goes wild and explodes off to their side, "Hey!"

I ignore him. The wolf takes one more look at me, then turns and lopes out of the building with the others.

And suddenly, they're all gone. I look around. Windows are shattered, the floor is destroyed with bits of foliage scattered everywhere, one wall has a large hold in it leading outside. More than just Ana is down. Conner's lying under a pile of rubble, being checked on by Dani. Three students are out and more than a couple are being helped up by friends. Bill's nursing an arm that looks like it was sucked into a lawnmower.

Wolverine's covered in blood. "Everybody all right?"

"No," one of the students snaps while supporting a friend, "What the f$# was that?"

"Drake, mind your mouth," Amber snaps back.

Conner groans and stands up slowly, "Who needs help the most…"

We all start moving again. Devon announces, "I'll get the medlab ready," and hurries out.

"Who's injured?" Amber asks the students with a no-nonsense tone.

"Something bit me," comes from one kid, "Am I gonna turn into a werewolf?"

"No, but you'll need a tetnus shot," she answers him humorlessly, "Any btes, scratches, serious injuries, go with Bill to the med lab In An ORDERLY Fashion!" she yells at the retreating group. She turns to helping Conner make it toward Ana.

Dani has Emma by the hand, "I'm going to take her down to the med lab and give Devon a hand."

The rest of the students stand there, a couple whispering to each other. I give them an annoyed look and order, "The rest of ya go find something' constructive ta do."

"Hey," Gambit grabs my arm at the elbo, "Why'd you do dat?"

Looking up into his red-on-black eyes, I stutter, "I…I just…thought--"

"How'd you get here so fast?" Dragon addresses the newcomers. I pull my arm free from the Cajun.

Rogue answers him, "We were in the neighborhood. Heard ya'll could use a hand. We knocked, but," she shrugs, "No one answered."

"Well, thanks, but we had it covered."

And the tension rises in what used to be a room. As a sub-team of the X-Men, as their former students, and as a younger generation, we're continually trying to get out from under the original team's shadow. I'm not the only territorial one; Joseph hates when they come step on our toes.

"Didn't seem that way when we got here, sugah." She's being sincere, I know, but it still doesn't help my team's ego.

"What'd I miss?" Ana moans as she sits up with Conner's help.

Dragon stares at the older X-Men, Rogue, Gambit, Nightcrawler and Wolverine, then starts ordering his team, "Medic, report to the med lab, heal anything serious, but don't over exert yourself. Tell Devon that if he can be spared to start researching the Pack. Craoyla, get on the phone with New York and see if Lisa can get back here. Blast, round up the kids and send them to the dorms, keep them all inside for now. Cougar and I will start cleaning up in there. When everyone's done with the injured kids, send them to the dorms too and both teachers and X-Men need to convene in the conference room." He looks back to the others, "You guys can stay and help out if you'd like."

Wolverine snorts, "Thanks for the invite, kid."

Ooh…even IF Logan was our team trainer, that was uncalled for. Joseph's jaw tightens momentarily, then he says cooly, "Why don't you hit the showers, Logan. It might disturb the kids to see you walking around covered in gore." Well played. He addressed Wolverine with his first name (only name, I know, but he didn't use the _Mr. _part. He also gave him an order that almost sounded like a dismissal. And he made reference to the students as the kids, not us.

With a smirk, Wolverine mock salutes him, "Aye aye cap'n." But he heads out, none the less.

Silence. I try to thnk of some sarcastic quip, but instead just mutter, "I'll go get some push brooms and scoop shovels." I leave the gym through the hole in the wall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hope this was long enough. I only know Rogue from the 90's cartoon, so sorry if I butchered her. I look forward to reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

Review Replies:

Oliver McDonald: I use spell check, and I usually read them over, but I'm experimenting with different formats, so things occasionally get mixed up. Unless your talking about my use of dialect/accent…I don't know. Also, Wolverine didn't 'meekly' take Dragon's order. Note that he 'smirked and gave a mock solute'. He's patronizing him, which is probably worse for Dragon's self-image.

Peteylove: sweetness is good…unless you're diabetic, but for a fic, its good, yea?

Lady Q: Yea, I really do need to do some research on these guys, its been so long since I've read anything but a Wolverine comic. I guess I still love the old cartoon Gambit and Rogue chemistry. I really hated those newer cartoons they came out with, X-Men Evolution (I think) because they made her a goth and him a magneto goon. Anyway, I'll look her up (and Nightcrawler, to do him justice too).

Dancergirl: I'm glad you liked it, hopefully this chapter won't be so dull.

Wolfy: No, you may not kill Grendel, he has a healing factor and cannot be killed so easily as to rip out his throat. But, hey, I might give you a try.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: hehe, I like the name change. This chapter's pretty mellow compared to the chaos of the last. I'm taking awhile to write it though, lotsa tests, but I'm getting a break coming up, so we'll see. It took me like, two or three years to write and post the prequel to this, so I'm in like, turbo-writing mode.

Dryad Mage: No, I didn't mean that you need therapy, I was trying to be funny. It doesn't happen often. You know, I read over that last fic, and I'm really bothered that Cougar didn't take in the cat. I think I was going to make her and it slipped my mind during the typing. Maybe I'll have to redeem her by having her take in some stray this fic.

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QUOTE: If you want to appear smarter, hang around someone stupider. --Garfield the Cat

CHAPTER 5

"What do we know?" Joseph asks the group before I'm even in my seat. Teachers and both new and old X-Men are seated about the round table.

"Boogey men," Devon starts, still working on the computer. "They're a new group, no other appearances." A black cube comes out of the center of the table, four T.V. screens making up the sides. They flicker and a blurred picture appears on all of them. "They had inside information--"

I interrupt, "Nathan was with them."

"Who iz Nathan?" Mr. Wagner asks.

"Shape shifted into a leopard. He was here for a bout a week."

"Right, which was how they got past the security," clicking the mouse, Devon starts the surveillance video. "In the short time he was here, Nathan learned that our alarm doesn't go off if an animal trips it." On the screen six wolves, three large birds and two leopards rush past a camera and split up. The image goes to static and flashes toward another camera angle, which flicks off as well. Another camera shot catches a raptor flying ito it and disconnecting the wires. "Nathan, then, used his code to open the front gate from the inside, which for some reason didn't alert us to a student leaving. " The screen switches to the camera that's placed above the gate. The whole pack surges in, splitting off into two groups.

"The group is filled with shape shifters and…" he falters and glances toward me, "And people with animalistic characteristics."

"They're all feral," I correct bluntly.

"Exactly. Their leader is a man called Grendel. The code name doesn't come up in the system."

Not knowing if it'll help, I interject, "Grendel was the monster in an Old English epic called Beowulf."

"So," Amber adds, "it could mean that he's an educated man." After a brief pause, she says to the elder X-Men, "One of our classmates from Xavier's was in the pack, Viper. He was a couple years older than us. Could Grendel have been one of Xavier's too?"

Wolverine shakes his head, "The small wasn't familiar."

"He could pass for human though," Ana points out, "Maybe he went through his schooling as a human."

Joseph taps his chin with a long finger, "OK, so then lets focus on Viper."

"He was in my class at school," Bill says. "If I remember correctly, he ran his own little pack."

"Yea, I had a couple scuffles with them," I mutter. My shoulder still holds the scars from his fangs and I hope that he has some left by me, maybe even some from today. "I don't think that any of them were ferals, though."

"Maybe we can start with them, see what they know about their old leader." Joseph leans back in his chair.

"What if dey don' talk, mon ami?" Gambit asks, almost like it's a test.

Before Dragon can say something that will fail us, like 'we'll make them', I jump in, "They were a buncha rejects." I shake my head at Rogue's frown, "They all had physical mutations, couldn't pass for human and were punks. Rejects stick together, so when one leaves, especially their leader, there's gonna be some hard feelin's goin' on. My bet is that they resent him for abandoning them."

"How much ya willin' to bet, though, sugah?" she leans forward and rests her chin on her gloved fist. "What makes ya'll so sure?"

I shrug, "That's how I'd feel."

"All right," Joseph sounds resolved, "We'll start there, Devon, go through Xavier's student records and see if there's any current information on them. Cougar can stay with you and offer any information she remembers from her 'scuffles' with them."

Boy, a couple veterans show up and he's all orders…"Yea, sure," I agree to his non-existent request, "I'd be happy to. No problem for me."

He ignores me, of course, and continues to dole out orders, "Amber, did you get ahold of Lisa?"

"Yea, she's on flight right now. Flying civvies," she adds, "The school couldn't spare a jet."

He nods, "All right, lets go talk to the kids, I'm sure they're panicked by now." Standing to leave, he adds, "Bill, go get some rest."

"Yea," I say to the injured man, "Ya look like crap." Honestly, he looks a little pale. Bill's a lover, not a fighter, and gets queasy around blood even when he's in hawk form. I'm pretty sure that tearing into another bird took a lot out of him. All he does is nod. On his way out, I say to his back, "There's some left over spaghetti in the fridge, don't forget to get some of those calories back."

He grunts back, leaving me and Bill alone in the room. The other man laughs at me, "Mother hen."

I give him an indignant look, "No. I just don't like leftovers…"

"Right." he turns back to the computer and starts typing, "So what do you remember about these punks? Names? Powers? Appearances?"

"Tarpit." I answer. "One of them was called Tarpit. There was a girl with four arms and a kid with a hawks head."

Brief typing and he asks, "So how are you? That was a pretty bad beating you took today."

"Fine." It hurts every time I breathe.

"Really?" Devon turns to cock a black eyebrow at me. I wonder if his hair was black before it all fell out or just a dark brown.

"Yea, I'm peachy." My head is pounding and occasionally there's a sharp pain on the left side of my face. "Why, don't I look the part?" I try to smile and re-split my lower lip.

"Yea…" he turns back to the screen, "You could win the Miss America Pageant with that smile."

"Bite me." I smirk.

"Oh, can I?"

His bald head makes a loud noise when I smack it, "Get ta work.

"Slave driver," he mutters, then gets back to his business voice as he reads, "Ryan Danielson, code named Hawk…Looks like he left the school after barely graduating and hasn't dropped them a line since. Amanda Fischer, codenamed Shiva. Graduated with decent grades, moved back to her home state of Washington. Peter Anderson, codenamed TarPit. Well, would you look at that…" he leans in closer to the computer.

"What?" I ask impatiently.

"Well, he stayed at Xavier's and became a teacher. He goes down to the Morlock tunnels and teaches the kids down there."

"Yea, well he used ta be a jerk."

"He looks like our best bet."

I roll my shoulders back and try not to wince and the ache in the right. "Then lets get him on the phone."

"Or, we could inform Dragon on what we found and get his orders." He swivels in his chair to look at me.

I raise my eyebrows at him, "I bet your pardon, have we met?"

"Look, Cougar, if you wanna press Joseph's buttons on a daily basis, that's fine with me-"

"Why's everyone makin' _me _out ta be the bad guy?"

"But," he continues as if I hadn't spoken, "You're an X-Man. I'm just a teacher and I have to follow the rules."

I cross my arms over my stomach, "I follow the rules."

"To an extent, sure. But just barely."

My eyes narrow at him, "Fine, you go ask for your orders. I'm gonna take a shower." I get up to leave.

"Cougar, don't go storming out now. Look, you know that when the old team's here, we have to be on good behavior."

"Yea. Whatever." I shrug without turning to face him. Hey, I'm not being stubborn. Ornery, sure, but I'm getting sick of having to treat everything like a test from them. Maybe that's our problem; we keep expecting tests so they keep giving them."

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My shower is long and I only get out because the water gets cold. I didn't bring a change of clothes with me so I leave my bathroom in a towel. Emma's jumping on my bed.

We'd barely been here for a month when she was dropped off on our doorstep. The note that she held in her chubby little hand said only '_My name is Emma. My father is coming home from overseas and will kill me because I'm a mutant. Please keep me safe.'_

It was a bit unexpected. The New York school was having trouble at the time, so we kept her. Cute kid, actually. She has dark tanned skin, long brown hair and solid lilac eyes. That was the only indicator that she was a mutant. We're kind of thinking that she's an empath now; she's very intuitive and almost creepy. She never cries either.

"Emma, why are you I my room?" I ask as she continues to jump.

"The wolf wasn't going to hurt me."

I blink, "How do you know that?"

"Her mind said so. She was trying to get me out of the gym."

"Oh. Her mind huh?" I'm using my little ked voice. I hate my little kid voice.

"Mhm… " the four-year old starts to slow down, tiring.

"Whose else's mind can you hear?"

She stops bouncing and shrugs at me, "Lotsa people's. Not yours though," Her chubby face scrunches up slightly, "Your mind is all staticky, like when the TV's out."

This is definitely something to tell Lisa when she gets back. "Oh. Well." I glance at my alarm clock, it's 4:47, "Hey, its almost supper time. You better get cleaned up." I have no idea what that means, exactly. I was just always told to do it when I was a kid.

"No one's making supper," she informs me, but jumps to the floor anyway.

"Well, then go find Ana and Conner and tell them to order some food." Perks of a city: Take out.

"O.K." she replies cheerily and starts out.

"Oh, and Emma?" I call her back, "Don't listen to Mr. Logan's mind, OK?"

"Why not?"

"It's not for kids," I answer, heading toward my closet, "OK, Emma?"

"OK," she says again and slips out the door.

When I come out of my closet, clothed and with the towel around my head, Gambit's just inside the door. "Is there some kinda welcome sign out there?" I snap.

"Gambit knocked. 'Sides, de petite told me ta go in."

"Well, 'de petite', " I mimic his accent well enough, "don't sleep here. What do you want?"

"I wanna know why ya stopped me dis afternoon." he gets to the point, which indicates how concerned he is.

"The wolf had Emma's sleeve in it's teeth. All it'd have ta do is tug and ya woulda hit her." I lie, covering it up by removing the towel from my head and tossing it onto my clothes hamper. I turn back to face him again.

He's staring back, unblinking. "Ya think Ah woulda hit 'er?"

Shrugging, I explain, "We didn't really do alotta team training with you. Now that I think of it, ya prolly wouldn't have. But I made a split decision. What's done is done." Nice huh? I practiced it in the shower. Also, I didn't apologize for it, meaning that he can't treat it like a test.

His red and black eyes narrow ever so slightly, then the corner of his lips twitch up, "Well, petite, Ah guess yo' right."

I snort, "Of course I'm right. I'm always right, " and turn toward the mirror above my dresser. I pull a comb through my tangled hair, "And don't call me that."

Gambit lets out a short laugh, "So when do ya feed yo' guests round here, cherie?"

My eyes roll at his reflection in the mirror. "I sent Emma ta tell Conner or Ana ta order something. Go weigh in yer vote if ya want anything good."

"No home cooked meals tonight, eh?" Gambit likes my cooking.

"You wanna cook, go ahead." I pull my wet hair back into a braid. "But I was used as a monkey's punching bag taday and don't much feel like it. Thanks for the rescue, by the way."

Always a pleasure, cherie, though Dragon didn't seem ta think it was necessary."

Yea, well, Joseph's got an active power and doesn't need ta go one-on-one with the bad guys. I do."

"Ya'll right?"

"Yea," I lie to him again, picking a stray hair out of my comb. Truthfully, I'd caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror before I got into the shower and I wasn't all right. I'm wearing a long sleeved turtleneck to cover the finger-shaped bruises ringing my neck. Once again, Viper's left his mark on me.

I put down the comb and stride toward the door. "Well, I'm gonna go make sure they don't order pizza for the third time this week. Any preference?"

"Non, Gambit'll eat whatever," he shrugs and follows me into the hall. "See ya 'round, petite."

"Yea, sure," I answer automatically, my mind already trying to decide where Ana and Conner might be, of course, together. I REALLY don't want pizza.

I head toward the elevator. Normally, I take the stairs, but I'm tired today. My best bet is that they're on the first floor. I hit the 'g' button and the doors close. The ground level has all the fun stuff, gym, rec room, three TV area's, kitchen and my dojo (I'm the martial arts teacher, so I can claim it…). The second floor is just classrooms, offices and study areas, they're probably not there. The third floor is what Xavier called the 'Living Quarters'; we just call it the Dorms. Teachers, students and guest rooms are all here. Ur students are lucky, no one has to share a room, yet. The forth floor is just storage. Eventually, it could become a second floor of bedrooms, but we're nowhere near ready for that many kids. The basement is off limits to the students. That's the conference room and our Danger Room where the team trains together.

The elevator stops at the first floor and I get out. I'll try the TV rooms first. Emma's voice, high and cheerful, comes from down the hall and I follow it, thinking that she's found them.

"Cougar said that your mind isn't for kids." I hear her say.

Wolverine's unmistakable grunt responds and I slow my steps to listen.

"Its not polite to make noises. Cougar does it all the time, but when I do it, all the grown ups tell me that its not polite and to use my words. You should use your words."

'Boy that girl's got a mouth on her,' I think, walking into the room. Wolverine's watching football and drinking a beer, though have no clue where he got it. He's also chewing on a cigar, prohibited from lighting it inside. It takes him a good minute for his nose to pick out my scent. "Emma," I say getting the child's attention too, "Did you find Ana?"

"Yup," she smiles up at me, completely accustomed to me 'popping up from nowhere'.

"What are they ordering?"

"Pizza!" she answers excitedly, jumping up with an enthusiasm that I couldn't even dream up.

"Ugh," I make a face, "I'm goin' out."

The girl's face crumbles, "What's wrong with pizza?"

"Nothing," I answer and head toward the door before she can ask any more questions.

"Ya know," Wolverine comes up behind me as I'm putting on my coat, "Dragon wants everyone ta stay at the hotel tonight fer security purposes."

I shrug, "Didn't tell me," and walk out the door, ignoring him when he calls out to me again.

Eight blocks east, a twenty minute walk, and I'll be at 'The Shack'. it's a bar and grill that serves decent steak and tolerates mutants as long as we don't cause trouble. The bartender and owner, an older man names Jake, likes me. When a couple male customers were getting too rowdy with the waitress, his grand daughter, I settled them down with a couple threats and followed the girl home. So did they, but there was only two and they were pretty drunk; easy take downs. Now I get free drinks and prompt service.

I 'turn off' my powers before I walk in. The door chimes and Jake looks up, acknowledging me with a nod. I take a corner seat and, in less than a minute, Sarah brings me a Pepsi and a menu.

By the time she comes back for my order, Wolverine is moving toward my booth. "Eight ounce sirloin with fries and ranch," I order without taking my eyes off him. He doesn't look too mad, I guess. "And take his order too," I add when he sits across from me.

Sarah glances between us and hands him my menu, "I'll give you a couple minutes to decide Can I get you a drink, sir?"

"Just a beer," he answers, handing her back the menu, "And I'll have what she's getting."

"Do you want your steak still moo'ing too?" she asks with a smile. Really, its not like I eat them RAW, just…really RARE.

"Medium rare's fine, thanks," he answers. As soon as she leaves he starts to scowl at me.

"Didn't feel like pizza either, huh?" I sip my drink.

"I didn't tell Joseph ya left."

My eyebrows raise, "Ya want a thank you or something'?"

"Ya need ta quit pullin' this crap, kid."

I lean back in my seat and look over the room, "I'm gettin' dinner, Wolverine. Don't spoil it, especially since I'm buyin' yers too."

"What yer doin' is pushing for a suspension." Sarah brings him his beer and he's quiet until she leaves. "Yer an asset to the team, but if ya don't stop making waves, its gonna get ya in trouble. Frost wanted to take ya off the team because of the school incident. It was my idea to come talk to ya. I got her off yer back, but I'm expecting ya to shape up."

I think over his words, take another drink and watch a woman winning in a dart game. "As I recall from the files, you were a pain in the butt when you joined the team, too. Did you ever get suspended or did ya just leave, up ta Canada or wherever, coming back whenever ya wanted." I turn my cat eyes on him, "Don't be a hypocrite, Wolverine. I'm getting in trouble just because Joseph's on a power trip and I don't follow his orders to the T." When all he does is scowl at me (shock of all shocks, right?), I continue, "See, now when I get back, he'll chew me out for leaving. Note that he didn't ever actually TELL me that we were all locked up for the night. And I bet he didn't tell you ta tell me either, right?"

Wolverine looks thoughtful for a moment before answering, "No. He didn't."

Sarah suddenly comes with our food and leaves to take another order.

"That was quick," he comments.

"Yea. I got connections," I cut into the red, juicy meat and savor the first bite. Mmm…blood…Kidding…I'm mostly kidding…"Anyway," I get back to the subject, "Joseph doesn't like me. No duh, I know, but I'm still not sure why. It could be that whole Magneto thing back in the day, or because Cyclops recommended me instead of him for team leader when we graduated. We've been fine til lately, though; keepin' ta ourselves and if he wouldn't mess with me, I wouldn't mess with him. Any missions were goin' fine."

"So what changed things?"

I shrug and take a another bite. Around the food, I answer, "All of a sudden he was screwin' with my classes, switching the kids around without telling me or getting my opinion on it. Lisa deals with the kids and their classes, but she was in New York, so I told him ta tell me next time. I figured he just wasn't used ta the extra work load. Then he started sendin' me on crap missions. I know," I stop him from objecting, "Someone's gotta do them, but he was sending me solo and then getting' mad at how I handled them."

"Like what missions?" He interrupts me.

"Like, I was sent to the mall because there was an ant mutant protest. He shoulda sent Ana or Conner, they can pass for normal. So I figured that n order not ta start a riot or get killed by said riot, I'd just hang back and keep an eye on them. Stop anyone from getting hurt, right?"

And he didn't agree with that?"

"No. Because when a teenage mutant showed up and mouthed off to a guy in the crowd, they goaded each other into a physical fight. I stepped in and scared a couple people by coming from their midst, or whatever. I pulled the guy off the kid and called Medic cuz he was unconscious. A couple of the bigots came after me, but I just held them off till the mall security came. Of course, they try to arrest ME, the evil lookin' mutie. Ya might remember that I had a bad experience with those kinda people. So I didn't let them arrest me, or the kid who was still out cold When Medic came, I took off, leading the cops away from him so he could do his healing thing and get the kid away. I lost them, but when I got to the hotel, I was on the news. Bad PR for the team and all, so Dragon tried ta keep me from the missions for like, three weeks."

"You've been ta all the mission, though."

"Yea. I'd just get on the jet without anyone knowing, or drive myself out there. Like you aid, I'm an asset ta the team, and they've ended up needin' me every time, which seems ta make Joseph angrier. Lately, he ends up disagreeing with everything I say just ta disagree. Then when I fight him about it, he writes up a report and sends it up ta you guys. And then I turn out to be the bad guy."

Wolverine sighs, then swears.

"I bet if you guys butted out we could solve it on our own."

"Not likely." When I turn my own scowl on him, he explains, "Even Xavier had ta step in ta fix feuds between me ad Summers.

"Great," I mutter and finish my meal, feeling very stuffed. "Lets get outta here and get yelled at by Joseph."

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Ok, that's it. I HOPE that this will be my most boring chapter EVER. Honestly, I find it duller than ditch water. But, its long and it's leading up to much better things.


	6. Chapter 6

**Review Replies:**

Peteylove: thanks. I felt it was a little dry, but I guess I got some good reviews.

Wolf6: Patience Beast! Your time will come. And I know, isn't dial up SSSSSSSSSLLLLLLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWWWWWW………

Lady Q: I'm glad it drew you in. I just kind of wanted to show that there was more than just action going on, like: "There was a big fight, now everything has to be sorted out".

Dancergirl: Heh, well, even if the chapter was boring, it at least made you laugh, right?

Proud to be an X-Nerd: I'm glad you like the dialogue. I hate it when all there is is movement. No one speaks to each other or carries on conversations, and that's what ppl really do, is talk to each other. I kind of got thru the writers block after the holiday, its still kind of there, but I'm working thru it. And a LITTLE will be revealed on her knowing one of the bad guys. This chapter's gonna be short, but it'll hopefully satisfy.

ENJOY!

**Quote: **The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. --Anon.

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CHAPTER 6

Eight blocks west; a twenty minute walk. What could go wrong? Nothing.

Or…

Wolverine and I could get jumped by the Pack and he could have his head bashed repeatedly into the sidewalk while I'm pinned to a brick wall by three of the suckers.

Yea. That's what happens.

As soon as Logan's hand shot out to stop me, they'd literally dropped from the sky. The man's a fighter, no doubt of that, but when a larger-than-average gorilla man falls on him from three stories up, he can't exactly fight back. I, myself, manage to injure two of them with my claws before I'm rushed by the cheetah girl from earlier, a boy who looks like an '80's movie werewolf and Grendel, himself.

The first two are pinning my arms to the wall while Grendel places his hands against my shoulders and leans his weight against them; his inhuman talons threatening to tear through my leather coat and into my skin. I growl, low and full of threat, and lash out with a steel toes boot, hitting just below his knee cap.

There's a loud cracking noise, followed by a suppressed expression of pain and anger. He presses harder on my shoulders and I hear some leather start to tear.

More of them mass around us, their hands everywhere, holding me immobile. I can't see Wolverine anymore, but the sick _thunk_ of his head against the concrete's been replaced by the even sicker sound of metal rythmatically hitting the cement.

I don't look for him again. He'll heal, but if they decide to kill me, I won't. My golden eyes glower at Grendel's black ones.

"Hello, kitty cat," he smiles creepily, giving me chills. When I don't reply, he continues, "Nice night, isn't it?" Without looking up, he continues, "The stars are out, the moon is full."

"What is this, a date?" I sneer at him, "What the hell do you want?"

The claws press harder, a couple passing through my coat and slicing deeper into my skin. "I want you, kitty cat."

"You need ta work on yer pickup lines, buddy--" my words are cut off when he thrusts his talons suddenly and they burrow into my shoulders. My eyes close tightly against the pain and begin to water. They're watering…I'm not crying…yet…

"You are in no position to be making jokes, Cougar. I'm making you an offer. Join my pack."

Eyes back open and flashing with anger, I answer him through bared teeth, "No."

He leans forward, inches from my face and says softly, "Then I'll kill them all."

"Why?" I demand, "What am I to you?" I have to struggle to keep myself from lunging at his face. Wolverine's head continues to bang against the sidewalk.

"Heh," he chuckles, pushing against me to stand back up, "Nothing. To me, you are nothing."

I try not to wince this time from the sharp pain, "Then who? Why do you want me to join the Pack?"

He regards me for a second; I can feel his gaze run up and down my body, finally he replies, "You have 24 hours. Then we'll come, either for you or for everyone else." And just as suddenly as they'd come, they leave, and everything's quiet again.

Ignoring my own injuries, I move towards Wolverine. His body is still and there's a pool of blood, a dark stain on the light gray sidewalk spreading out from his head. I sit just outside the stain and wait with him. After three minutes, he starts to breathe again, another eight and he begins to twitch. After a full thirteen minutes, he groans and rolls his eyes to the side to look at me.

I stare back at him, let him collect his thoughts, then ask quietly, "Ya all right, old man?"

His blue eyes squint, then open wide and finally manage to focus on me, "What happened?"

"What do ya remember?" I remain still as he slowly sits up.

"Being jumped," he grunts and haltingly gets to his feet.

"Well," I rise to my own feet rather gracefully," technically, _I _was jumped. _You_ were jumped _**on**_."

"Yea," he touches the back of his head, all nice and healed now, though still matted with blood. "I'm startin' ta remember that, too."

I shiver a little, " Can you make it the rest of the way ta the school?" Dumb question.

He looks at me like it was a dumb questions. See? Then his eyes narrow at me, "I'm fine, but yer bleedin' kid."

"Yea," I reply shortly, "He ripped my coat, too, the SOB."

He reaches out and I let him grab the left lapel of my coat. With a slight tug, he pulls me forward to get a better look. A dark red stain covers my shoulder and tapers off after a couple inches. I don't have to look to see the matching pair on the right side.

"This was my favorite shirt…" I mutter.

With a heartfelt sigh, Logan lets go of me. "Lets go see if Medic's up ta healin' ya."

"Nope," we start walking, leaving the pool of blood behind us. There's even a little dent in the cement from his head being driven into it repeatedly. "I deserved it cuz I wasn't supposed ta leave the hotel. I'll just have ta live with my injuries like the rest of the world. Otherwise, I'll never learn ta control my impulses, yadda, yadda, yadda."

I stuff my hands into my pockets. The left holds a small rock, worn smooth by the Yellowstone River near my house back in North Dakota. My right hand brushes against my old Buck pocket knife. I have super-sharp claws now, but I've also had a pocket knife since I was eleven; old habits die hard. Like a security blanket, I wrap my fingers around it tightly; and my index finger touches a small piece of paper that I know has never been there before. I ignore it for now, and listen to Wolverine's gruff voice.

"Yea, well Joseph's still under the head school's orders. Whether he likes ya or not, its his job to keep his team up. If he aint gonna do it because of some grudge, he's gonna get replaced."

I don't look at him, but say with surprise, "You can do that?"

"Yea."

"Well, that's interesting," I answer. And here I thought I'd be stuck with him forever. All I have to do is wait for him to screw up. My night just got better.

The gate is open when we get to the Hotel. The door's unlocked too. Wow, some security…

We're barely in the door before Ana chants, "Boy is Joseph mad at you…" She's sitting behind the front desk, reading a book and presumably waiting for me.

"Isn't he always though?" I sigh and take off my coat to hang in the closet.

She gasps and moves toward me, "Cougar, you're bleeding! What happened?"

"Got into a fight," I shrug, then wince. "But, hey, look at the back of his head," I point to Logan, trying to take the attention off of me.

It works for two seconds, "Oh, gross. But he heals himself," she waves him off dismissively.

I look back at the man, "You just get no respect."

"Come on," she grabs my arm and starts leading me toward the med. Lab, "Conner can heal you really quick."

I groan, "Aw, c'mon Ana, I'm fine…where's Dragon anyway? Shouldn't he be at the door ready to yell at me? Cuz I'm totally up ta walkin' away from him ta tick him off."

"You can bug him later," she assures me as we enter the lab, Wolverine trailing behind. "Conner."

Swiveling in his desk chair, Conner's face lights up at his fiancé. It turns to a frown when it sees me. "Were you two sparring or something?"

"No." I hop onto an empty bed. I could fight the necessity of him healing me, but I'd lose.

He doesn't say anything; he rarely does when I come home bloodied or bruised from my night time wanderings. Instead, he gets up and orders "All right, off with the shirt and lets see what the damage is this time."

"What? No dinner and a movie?" I joke, not even getting a smile. "Tough crowd," I mutter and stiffly pull off my shirt. Wolverine turns around to give me some privacy while I sit in my bra.

"Oh my God…" Ana gasps again, "What are all those from?" She moves forward to push on one of the older Billy club bruises.

I smack her hand away and say in a 'duh' tone, "Ow. Those are from the mission the other morning. The rest is from earlier today."

Medic hold his hands just above my cuts and I feel the familiar warmth of his healing. "You should have come to me with all this right away Cougar," he actually scolds me. "Its probably going to drain you when I heal them now."

"Then don't heal them," I watch as my wounds close up slowly.

"Of course I'm gong to heal them," his hands move to the other injuries. "Why didn't you tell anyone about these?"

"Cuz Dragon reported no injuries. I decided not to say anything."

Ana smacks me upside my head and I scowl at her while she rebukes me by quoting the team handbook, "You are supposed to alert the team to any and all injuries. You know that."

I shrug, painlessly this time, "It wasn't anything serious." I'm getting sleepy and yawn suddenly.

Conner doesn't look up from his task when he answers, "You had several bruised ribs and a cracked collar bone. Ana, can you go get her something to sleep in, she's staying down here tonight."

"Like hell I am," I growl, which takes much more effort than it should have. She leaves despite my protests.

"Umm, yea, you are. You'll probably be too weak to stand after I'm done," he says in an infuriating matter-of-fact tone. "If I wasn't healing OLD injuries, it wouldn't have such negative effects on you."

My eyes narrow at him, though he takes no mind to my potential threats. Sounding more pouty than anything, I grumble, "I seriously dislike you right now."

Finally finished, Medic beams at me, "Now, now, some one's not going to get a lollipop with that attitude."

Ana pops back in with the pajamas that I'd left on my bed this morning, "Hope these will do."

Still glaring at Conner, I snatch the clothes and attempt to march into the bathroom to change. Of course, my legs feel like jello and every muscle is suddenly dead tired. I make it to the bathroom in spite of his healing.

When I come back out, only Ana's there. "I'll let Joseph know you're down here and to leave you alone."

I sigh and barely climb into the bed. I'm tired as hell, but I DO feel better. "Thanks, Ana."

She smiles as my eyelids become weights, "Don't mention it."

"Oh," I mumble, "Tell, Conner that I still want my lollipop."

I hear her laugh just before I pass out.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Its 3:11 in the morning when I wake up, staring in the darkness at the unfamiliar ceiling. I hate staying in the med. Lab. It stinks like disinfectant. My mind goes over the happenings of the day. Wolverine didn't push to know what Grendel wanted, which is surprising. I'll have to call a meeting to discuss what our options are. Twenty four hours isn't a lot. I could hightail it and hope that he'd follow me and leave the kids alone. Or we could call in another team to help us defend the place. The team in California's close enough and owes us a favor. We have some of the senior members of the team here too.

Suddenly, I remember the piece of paper that I'd found in my pocket. It bothers me enough that I get out of the nice warm bed and change into my jeans. My ruined shirt is missing, so I head towards the front closet wearing the oversized coffee cup shirt. My bare feet pad along the hardwood floors silently. I find the paper right in the pocket; a little scrap of note book paper torn from the top corner.

My eyes see clearly in the dark as I unfold it and read the familiar handwriting. After all these years, I still know its hers. I stand there for a moment, tapping my chin lightly with my clawed fingers. A noise from the top steps attracts my attention and I stuff the note into my pocket.

Turning around, I watch as Maria and another girl; the new one, Shawna; sneak down the stairs.

"I don't know about this," Maria whispers nervously.

"I thought you said you liked doing this sorta stuff. Come one, we won't get caught," the other girl whispers back.

My voice makes them both freeze, "Ya just got caught. What're ya doin' out past curfew?" They're dressed for a nigh on the town, obviously attempting to sneak out. Armatures.

"Aw…shxt," Maria curses under her breath. Louder she answers, "We were just going to get something to eat out of the kitchen."

My eyes narrow at her and I scowl a scowl that could rival Logan's, "That's one. What're ya doing out past curfew?" I ask again.

"We…" the other girl stammers, "we heard some one down here and were checking it out."

"That's two. Ya wanna make it three? Keep lying, girls."

Shawna turns on the attitude, "Three _what_?"

"Weeks of detention." I answer, "Yer both fully dressed, faces caked with makeup and using the stairs instead of the elevator. Where exactly do ya think yer sneakin' off to and what the hell made ya think ya'd make it past the security systems this night of all nights?"

"Aw, shxt," Maria curses again and turns on her friend, "I TOLD you this was a bad idea…"

"Well, how should I know she was waiting down here?"

I interrupt their little spat, "I wasn't. You two just have lousy luck. Where were ya going, Maria?"

The girl hangs her head, "There was a party…"

"At three in the morning?"

She looks at me like I'm stupid, "Yea, that's the best time, all the cops are switching shifts so they're not bored enough to check up on it." For her little confession, she gets elbowed by the other girl.

"Well, next time follow yer instincts when they tell ya it's a bad idea. Yer up for two weeks. When Lisa gets back, she'll assign you to the teachers you'll spend them with. Go back to bed girls."

They both groan and mumble about me, but head up the stairs obediently. I follow, see them to their rooms, and then head towards Wolverine's guest room. I need some serious advice.

The door is silent on its hinge when I swing it open. I move quietly to the side of his bed and wait for him to wake up. I know he'll pick up my scent even in his dreams.

Sure enough, his forehead wrinkles and his eyes snap open. In one fluid movement, he's sitting up, claws popped and facing me. I don't move and in a second, he relaxes, claws disappearing in his hands, or arms or wherever they go. "Cougar," he greets me.

I move to the corner of the bed, sitting down and using the bedpost as a backrest. "Grendel jumped us last night cuz he had an offer for me."

He doesn't say anything. He never does when I come to him for help; just sits back and lets me get off my chest what ever it was that I'd come to talk about. Then he offers advice, or yells at me if it was something stupid.

"He wants me to join the Pack. He gave me 24 hours to accept. If I don't, he said he'd come here and kill everyone." I'm quiet, trying to figure out what to say next.

"Ya think they could really come in here and kill everyone? One call and every X-Man, past and present will be here ta back ya up. Even without them, you guys held out pretty well yesterday morning."

I look down, study my nails in the darkness that I can see through thanks to my powers. "I asked him why he wanted me ta join them so bad. He said he didn't, like there was someone else. Then…" I hesitate, not knowing how much to say. "Grendel's real name is Marcus Creed. It's Sabertooth's son." My eyes look up to get his reaction.

"Damnit." he curses quietly.

"Do you think he's after me again?" I really don't want to know the answer. I don't mean to sound all self-important or anything, but the guy was like, obsessed with me back in the day. Something to do with me training to be his little protégé.

Wolverine looks at me, like he's debating answering me. "If he does, it aint for the same reason."

"What reason then?"

He shakes his head and sighs. "He was gonna get some psychic ta mess with yer mind, brainwash you into thinking that you were on his side. There's no way he'd be able to pull that off after all these years; after all the training and with the extra shielding that Xavier helped you build. The only thing I can think of is that he's pissed that things didn't work. He wants some retribution for you gettin' away."

That's what I was afraid of. I lick my dry lips and accuse him, "You said that they messed with his head. That he wouldn't remember me or what his stupid plans were."

My tone doesn't seem to faze him and he explains calmly, "I aint no psychic expert. Maybe his mind healed itself." He shrugs, "Jeanie was the one who did it. Maybe when she died, it came undone."

"Well, that's just great." I glare at him, "Thanks a lot."

He holds up his hands defensively, "Don't get mad at me, kid. This aint my fault. If ya want, I can go out tomorrow morning and track them down for ya."

"No," I sigh, tired again, "We'll need you here if they attack again." I run my hand over my face, "This is just unfolding wonderfully."

"Ya expect life ta be easy? Yer an X-Man, and one with a bad past at that, kid."

"Yea," I get up to leave, sighing at the work, "Thanks. Sorry for wakin' ya up."

"Hey," he calls me back before I get even two steps. When I turn back he asks, "How'd ya know Grendel was Creed's kid?"

I hesitate, barely, but I know it was too much when I answer, "There was a note in my pocket."

The man doesn't move, though his eyes are staring hard at me. After all these years, I can finally keep eye contact with him and I'm still watching when he asks, "Where'd the note come from, kid?"

I almost answer, 'my pocket', but I know he won't let that go. So I spill it, "When we were under attack, that one wolf had Emma, remember?" At his nod, I continue, "She said she could read its mind and that it wasn't trying to hurt her, it was trying to get her out of the gym and out of danger…" Quietly and quickly, I add on, "Which makes sense because I think I know who it was."

"The wolf?" Now he's watching me _very_ carefully. He's a frigging lie detector.

"Yea…I, umm," I sigh and just tell him, "I'm pretty sure it was my friend, from back home. I recognize her hand writing, too."

"And she's with the Pack."

Sounding a little more defensive than I mean to, I answer quickly, "Yea, but she's trying to help me. And she wanted to keep Emma safe."

Wolverine studies me for a minute more, "Ya trust her?"

"Yea."

He shakes his head, but answers, "All right. You should probably get ta bed, its late."

I nod and turn to leave. When I get to the door, though, I turn back, "Hey, Logan?" I rarely use his real name. I'd learned of his identity through his codename, I'd learned all of them by their codenames.

"Yea?"

I pause, "Can you…Don't tell the others, ok? About me knowing her?"

Again, he regards me stoically before answering, "Ya sure? That's not something you should really keep from yer team, kid."

"Please," I hate asking this of him, but all Joseph would need is one reason to stop trusting me again, and as much as I hate it, he could lead the others to mistrust me too. Its bad enough I'll have to tell them tomorrow morning about Sabertooth.

It must have been the please, but he grunts in agreement. "This is yer decision," is all he says about it.

"Thanks," I say again and quickly leave.

Before I go to my own room, I poke me head into each student's room, just to make sure no one else was planning on attending the party. They're all there, though Shawna is in Maria's room, angrily whispering with her about how unfair I am.

Poor kids, they've just got so many problems…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Whew! Well, I hope this one was better than the last. This last bit might be a little rough, I typed it straight on the computer and didn't have an earlier draft, like I usually do. I kind of like it, anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

--dodges thrown fruit and vegetables-- I know, I know, it took me SO LONG!

**Review Replies:**

Lady Q: Thanks for the review. I'm not sure what you mean by "draw" though.

Peteylove: I LOVE wicked awesomness's. They make my day!

Wolfy: Yay! Another awesomeness! And you are such a suck up. I'm sure that I'll slaughter your character, but if you complain…I'll make your head blow up…--smiles pretty-- Such is the power of the authors!! Ha.

Allenterrille: review are always wanted, but as long as your reading, its all good.

Proud To Be An X-Nerd: yea, it was a bit of a jump from bar to street, but I kinda wanted to show how sudden things changed, all normal, then Poof. Night ruined. As for the x-men writer comment --shifty eyes-- who says I aint? Hehe. I always wonder if they get their material from fan sites. Conspiracy theory. Jeepers, girl what are you doing up at 1 in the morning. You need sleep in order to function! Heh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Quote: **"It has been discovered experimentally that you can draw laughter from an audience anywhere in the world, of any class or race, simply by walking onto a stage and uttering the words "I am a married man"."  
- Ted Kavanugh - British radio scriptwriter

**CHAPTER 7**

A blood bath. There's blood everywhere, smeared on the walls, splattered on the ceiling. Limbs torn from the students are crawling through the blood and gore that's saturated the carpets.

I'm running, hurdling the shredded torso of Amber, slipping on the chunks of flesh that once were Joseph. Getting back up, I keep running through the Hotel and down the stairs that are littered with the grizzly remains of Ana and Conner.

But there's no door. There's just a solid brick wall that starts to bleed from the mortar and screams when I touch it. Its an agonizing scream of pain and fear and anger.

"Here kitty, kitty, kitty," Grendel calls from directly behind me.

I whirl around to lash out with my claws, but they're gone. My hands look normal with hot pink fingernail polish on my human fingers.

Sabertooth catches my pitiful arm. "Come here, kitty cat."

"Creed," I snarl with both fear and surprise

He laughs, a dry, creepy chuckle, "Ya can't kill me, but I killed them, kitty cat," he sneers down at me, squeezing my wrist so hard that I scream.

The wall screams with me, ending with my codename, "Cougar! Cougar! Cougar! You killed us Cougar! Cougar!--

"Cougar!" Devon yells at me. He's standing very still with my claws digging into the soft skin of his throat. Suddenly, he bursts into water and splashes to the floor, reforming into a solid just out of my reach. "Jesus, Cougar!" he snaps at me, rubbing his neck, "If you don't want waffles, fine. I'm sure Ana's not gonna be mad or anything."

"Devon." I stand there by the bed with my arms hanging limply at my sides. "What…" giving my head a slight shake I demand, "…are you doing in here?"

He looks at me like I'm crazy, and says slowly, "Ana sent me up to tell you she's making waffles…You really aren't a morning person, you know that?"

"Get out." I order him.

"Yea, sure, fine…" he backs away with his hands up, "I'll just tell them you'll be down in a bit. No need to rip my head off--wait, you already tried that didn't you?"

I ignore him and head into my bathroom where I spend two minutes splashing cold water on my face and another five minutes staring at myself in the mirror. When my hands stop shaking, I run a brush through my dark brown hair and get dressed. Jeans, a black tank top and a clean pair of bike gloves and I'm ready for the day. And what a day it'll be.

There's a new coffee pot. Despite the attack, the kids, injuries and the lockdown, someone had managed to go buy a new coffee pot. I love this place…

From behind the safety of the kitchen island, Amber beams at me, "Nice to see you up, Cougs. Sleep well?"

I grunt noncommittally and pour the coffee. Moving to the fridge, I rummage around for my cream. There it is…mmm…hazelnut…

Devon's sitting on a stool, woofing down a waffle drenched in syrup. The smell nauseates me this morning. "Cougar's grumpy cuz I woke her up from a _fun _dream she was having." Despite my scowl, he grins at me mischievously.

"Shut up," I growl, pouring the cream and using a claw to stir the magical drink.

"A dream, huh?" Amber watches me as she takes a drink of her own coffee. She must have bought the new pot.

"Oh, yea," the little cretin continues, "She was all moaning and tossing and turning," he waggles his dark eye brows at me in a lewd suggestion.

"Shut up." I say again with just as much warning as before.

His grin expands, "I just wanna know who this Creed guy is--"

With one fluid movement, my foot kicks out, hooking one of the stool legs and sweeping it out from under him. The plate smashes to pieces as it hit's the floor, sending sticky syrup everywhere and covering Devon, who is now on the floor with it.

"What the Hell's Your Problem!?" he yells, trying to get up.

"Fxck you." I growl, storming out.

"I was just having some fun!" he shouts to my back.

Amber remains still, watching me, "Devon, shut up."

Wolverine's suddenly in the door way, "Cougar?"

My hand shoves him square in the chest and gets him out of my way, "Move."

The man doesn't say anything, but when Amber calls out to me, I can hear him tell her, "Let 'er cool off. What happened here?"

I head up. I always head up, or out, but I'm not leaving the school today. My choice, not Dragon's orders. The Hotel has a level roof, filled with potted plants and vines stretching everywhere. There's a greenhouse used for growing things for Bill's botany classes, and a new gazebo where the kids go to make out--I hope they don't do anything else. The entire roof is enclosed by a wrought iron fence. Its really very beautiful and I often come here to think or read. Or cool off. I do that a lot too.

I honestly don't know what to do. My mind mulls over options and their consequences for twenty minutes. I'm still in mid-mull when Amber comes up. She doesn't say anything at first (which is always a big accomplishment for her), just comes and leans against the railing with me. The west side of the Hotel is bordered by trees, an old cemetery beyond that and mountains farther back. It makes for great sunsets. Finally, she asks, "So you had Sabertooth dream, huh?"

"Mhm." I continue to stare out. Some geese fly in a misshaped V-formation, though I can't hear their honks over the hum of the city behind us.

"You haven't had one of those in years, Cougs. What's up now?" A car door slams somewhere near the front of the building.

"Lisa's back," I state instead of answering her, "We need ta call a meeting," I turn to look up at her green eyes, "There's a situation."

She stares back for a moment, trying to read me, then slowly nods, "All right. I'll get everyone together." Giving my shoulder a light squeeze, as she turns to leave, she says, "You've got five minutes to get all Zen, or whatever. Then you're on."

My eyes go back to the sky and finds the geese, watching them until they disappear from my vision. With a sigh, I start for the conference room, still uncertain of what to say.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Everyone's just getting to their seats when I show up. I stand behind my chair and watch as they settle down. Amber frowns and looks at her watch. "Don't worry so much, " I tell her, alerting her to my presence, "You'll get wrinkles."

"How long have you been there?" she looks surprised. I guess I was shielding myself.

"Just a minute. Is Lisa coming?" I look to her empty chair.

Speaking too soon, the Asian woman brushes into the room. She always brushes into a room, I never knew what that phrase meant until I met her. Her black hair is pulled back into a severe ponytail and she looks really mad. "I was gone for two weeks. Two weeks and there's a hole in the gym, which is demolished, by the way. We just put in that floor and its shredded. The students are under lockdown with no supervision. The game room has scorch marks. Our security has been compromised. There are messages from parents regarding the safety of their children. No one has gone shopping for groceries for over a week and the children are running our credit accounts through the roof because they're ordering out so much. Two weeks." she states again. I'm not sure who she's talking to, exactly. She looks about the room and demands, "Who called this meeting anyway?"

"That'd be me. Have a seat, ya look tired." After a rant like that, I'd be too.

She sits, but with a deep frown. "What are they doing here?" she indicates the four veteran X-Men.

"Visiting," Joseph assures her, striding through the door. "Cougar, what did you do last night?"

"Sit." I order, "Its hard enough for me at keep people's attention, I don't need them focusing on yer uptight face."

"This better be good," he mutters, but takes his chair nonetheless.

"Oh, yer gonna love it," I mutter back, then address the room. "Here's the scoop. Last night, on our way back for The Shack, Wolverine and I were jumped by the Pack--"

I'm rudely interrupted by Dragon (of course), "Cougar, we were under lock down to avoid that scenario. If you'd follow orders--"

"Pipe down," I cut him off. He opens his mouth to yell at me, but I can yell louder and continue right over him, "Grendel offered me an ultimatum. I join the pack or they kill everyone here." I let them digest it, "He was also kind enough to give us a deadline--no pun intended. We got twenty four hours and it was about 7:30 when he attacked."

"Their first attack was a failure," DanI points out, "What makes this next attack so successful that they'll kill everyone?"

Joseph sighs heavily and I let him answer, "Because they know us now. They know that Medic heals and will take him down first. They know that Ana protects the students. They know that I need access to the ground for my powers to be useful. They also know that they outnumber us."

"Couldn't we just give them Cougar?" Devon asks, clearly still sore from earlier.

"Devon!" half the room yells at him while Ana goes through the extra effort of reaching around Conner to smack him.

"What!? She could be, like, a mole. They won't hurt her!"

"Ahem," Logan clears his throat loudly while crossing his arms and staring pointedly at me.

Everyone turns from him to me. "Uhmm…There is a problem with that. Grendel said that _he_ didn't want me. Some one else does. And…he's, uh, Victor Creed's son."

My team is still, sparing glances at each other. The teachers look around confused. Dani's the first to ask, "Who?"

"Sabertooth," I answer her, "He was…" I falter, "He most likely wants me dead."

"_THE_ Sabertooth, we're talking about?" Lisa asks with arched eyebrows. "That man hasn't shown up on the radar for years. And, if I remember correctly, he's a maniac. Why on earth would he want you, specifically, dead?"

"That doesn't matter. If he comes too, the scales are definitely shifted."

Lisa purses her red, painted lips, still unconvinced, "Sabertooth had a personal vendetta against Wolverine, didn't he?" She looks to the stocky man with a hard gaze that still doesn't faze him. "If anything, he should be after Mr. Logan, not you."

"Well, lets all hope," I reply cheerily, though my own face is a dark scowl.

Amber's twirling a piece of her blue hair in thought, "Maybe we should evacuate the students and teachers."

"Hey, we can help!" Dani shoots back. There's a quiet spell.

"You're not X-Men," Joseph says what all of our team is thinking, "You were trained to control your powers and use them defensively. We can't have you endangering yourselves."

The woman looks to Amber for support, but gets none, "It's our school. We want to defend it."

"You have no experience working with the team. I'm sorry, Dani, but you'll be liabilities."

She frowns, but doesn't say anything else. I understand her feelings, but Dragon's actually right on this one. They helped in the earlier attack, but the team was also keeping a sharp eye on them. We can't afford the distraction this time.

Lisa speaks up, "Where should we evacuate them too? In such a short amount of time, we have to get 25 students safely out of the area. They won't all fit in the jet in one trip to New York."

"We can make two trips with them to California if we get them ready now," Bill suggests. "I mean, we'd have to call them and everything."

"All right. Teachers," here are those orders again… "Go tell the students that they're being evacuated to California. Give them half an hour, max, to have an overnight bag packed. The first half that are ready, send them out. Bill, can you fly them?"

"Yea…I might be a bit shaky, but I can get them there."

Taking charge of her staff, Lisa starts in, "Devon, you'll go with the first group, DanI, you and I will go with the second. And lets remind the children that they are **guests**. I'll get on the phone with the headmaster of the California school to let them know our situation."

"Actually," I interrupt, "Maybe Joseph should call them and let their team leader know to be on stand by. We might need help."

"Good idea, Cougar," he answers, surprising the hell outta me.

I'm about to ask him if he's high or something when our system's alarm suddenly begins blaring.

Automatically, Devon moves to the controls in the room, "Its probably just a squirrel or something. After yesterday, I recalibrated the system to pick out animals too. There's just a few bugs in it…" Fingers tap the keys furiously, and the alarms stop. "Or…there could be a wolf…"

The black box rises from the table again and the screen switches between shots of a grayish-brown wolf. Quietly I sigh, "Oh no, Nay…" No one takes mind of me.

Orders are being barked instead. "Lisa, send a message to all the kids to get into one main room. Nightcrawler, teleport Dani up to them. Dani create a hologram to conceal the door to the room and conceal them." Kurt springs to action and immediately Bamfs her away. "Devon, I need to see all angles, how many are there and where are they coming from? Everyone else, get to the main floor."

Before we can get up, Devon stops us, "The computer's only picking up one. None of the sectors are down. Its just the one."

He hesitates. "Crayola, come with me. Everyone else, stay on guard, and Devon, keep us all posted."

"Got it," the computer man replies, "They're headed toward…it looks like the back door. Maybe they're just selling cookies?"

Everyone ignores him and watches the screen. We watch the wolf pad up to the Hotel. We watch the wolf get bound by vines from Dragon. We watch the wolf snarl and be lifted into the air by Crayola. And them we watch the wolf being floated in and down toward the interrogation room. Without a word, I leave. The only reason Wolverine notices is because I have to pass next to him. He gets up and follows me out to the hall. I decide to let him, even holding the door of the interrogation room for him.

The wolf's lips are pulled back to show its long white fangs. Its growling, but floating placidly enough by Amber's power. With a quick nose twitch, its blue eyes lock on me. Instantly, the snarls is dropped and its bushy tail swishes in greeting.

"Hi, Nay," I greet back. Both my teammates whirl on me, though Crayola's concentration never wavers. Ignoring them, I continue to talk to my old friend, "I don't think they'll let ya down til ya shift back." She waves her bound front paws at me and makes a truly wolfish noise between a woof and a whine, tilting her head at me. "Gotcha," I turn back to the others, "She can't shift back with those binding, her bones and muscles are different in this form."

"We're not taking the bindings off," Joseph answers, sounding confused, "She's trying to attack the school."

"No. She's not. I'm pretty sure she's here ta warn us. Or at least me." I glance at her and she swishes her tail again in confirmation.

"Cougar," Amber frowns, "Who is this?"

I smirk slightly, "An old friend."

"Old friend like Magneto your old friend?" Joseph asks.

My smile drops and Wolf growls on my behalf, "No. Old friend as in 'we grew up together'." Still, they make no move to remove her bindings, so I do. My claws slice through them like butter and I step back just as Joseph snaps at me, "Cougar."

Wolf snorts at him. In mid air, her transformation starts. Its really quite gross to watch, so I don't. She's one of the lucky shape-shifters--she keeps her clothes.

"You need to re-elect your welcome wagon," is the first thing she's said to me face-to-face in over three years.

"Yea," I shrug, "But we're all a bit edgy lately."

"Uhh…Cougar?" Amber waves at me, "What's going on, exactly?"

"Dunno," I turn back to Wolf, "What's up?"

With a heavy sigh, she replies casually, "Oh, not much; Sabertooth is coming here to kill you with his son and a buncha ferals. Oh, they're also planning on killing all the other people around here. You know, I'm pretty sure that guy's a psycho."

"Heh, ya think?" I give her a wry smile. "So what're ya doin' running around with a buncha psycho's. Last time I talked to ya, you were runnin' around with a real wolf pack doing research for some government biologist big wigs in Alaska."

"Yea, till some other government big wigs came and threatened to pull the plug on our funding unless I helped them."

Joseph opens his mouth and takes a step forward, but Wolverine gestures for him to keep quiet. There's no need for him to butt in if our 'prisoner' is cooperating.

"Help them do what?" I ask as Crayola lowers her to the floor.

Wolf nods to my teammate and answers, "They wanted me to be a mole in their Pack. They've been monitoring their activity for awhile and became concerned when Victor Creed joined their ranks."

I frown, "O.K. So the pack's got the government spooked. They seem ta be more focused on us here than any terrorist activities."

"They need you outta the way before they can start hose activities."

Amber finally asks, "But why us? Its not like our team is a weak link or anything."

"No." My friends familiar face frowns slightly, "No you're not a weak link. But after Sabertooth came, he's convinced everyone that this is the place to attack. Mainly cuz of you," she nods at me. "Whatever you did to tick him off worked."

"O.K., wait," Dragon interrupts, "So their overall plan is to get us out of the way and what? Set up base here for their terrorist acts? Every other X-Man would flock here."

"Duh," she waves him off, "I know that and I'm sure Grendel does too. But he keeps his plans to himself and, being the lowly foot-wolf that I am, the plans I hear are mostly through the grape vines. I think its some kinda distraction." Blue eyes flash back to me, "You're just icing on the cake, Cougy."

"Peachy," I grunt back.

"Yea, well don't life suck? Anyways, I came here to give you some warning. That and the Feds contacted me and blew my cover."

I snort, "Stupid feds."

"Yea. Well the attack was supposed to be at 7:30. Its moved to nine now. Just to confuse you or something."

"ooh, them's sneaky ones, "I roll my eyes.

"So," she looks around the room, "Am I a prisoner or what?"

"No." I answer before anyone else can. "You hungry? I know shifting burns alotta calories and everything."

Amber jumps in, "Well, I'll set up another guest room."

"Cougar." Dragon says my name as a whole sentence.

"Hey, Amber, why don't you drop Nay off in the kitchen."

"Sure," she opens the auto door.

Wolf looks between Dragon and me. As she passes she says loud enough for everyone to hear, "I don't like him."

I shrug, "Neither do I sometimes."

She chuckles at my words while leaving. Turning to my team leader, I smile politely, steeling myself for a speech, "Yes?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

What an abrupt ending to a chapter, huh? --dodges more fruit and vegetables-- Sorry guys, don't blame me, my muse is on vacation or something, throw in some hectic holidays and nothing gets written. I'm staring another semester at school so I need to get all settled before I can start writing again, sorry.


	8. Chapter 8

**Review Replies:**

7candy7: Yay, new reviewer (I think). I'm glad I have ppl that read my stuff. Thanks.

Dryad Mage: Naw, she mostly gets along with everyone but Joseph. And I guess Devon when he's being a little smart a…ahem…alec.

Allen Terrill: I could clarify whose side wolf is on, but it's always funner if I keep ppl guessing.

Wolfy: We need school, unfortunately. And I absolutely hate writing Wolf. Hate it hate it hate it. (just so you know).

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Oh, no…I've taken too long on this one. I can see it now. You, out on the streets, graffiti-ing 'X-Men rule and DC drools' all over the city. What a shame. Tsk Tsk. Oh, and about Sabertooth, I don't know what he's gonna do…he's a creepy lil bugger, flitting about in my head and doing God-knows what to my muses. I think they're on strike right now, btw.

**Quote:**

The thing that women have got to learn is that nobody gives you power. You just take it. --Roseanne Barr

**CHAPTER 8**

"You don't have the authority to release a prisoner." Joseph's not yelling yet. I'm impressed.

My cat eyes blink slowly and lazily, almost taunting him, "She literally risked her hide ta come here 'n warn us. That's not a prisoner, that's an ally."

"She was in the party that attacked yesterday. That makes her an enemy." His jaw is doing a weird tensing rhythm.

"Yea," I nod, "but she tried ta save Emma."

"Says who?"

"Emma." I suddenly shake my head, "Ya know what, Dragon? I'm sick of this conversation. She's helping us. And yer just gonna have ta deal with it." I turn abruptly and head out the door.

"Cougar!" he snaps at me, but I keep moving. My power shields are up and he doesn't notice which way I'm walking. I stop long enough to hear him start in on Wolverine.

"Can't you do something about her?!"

The other man laughs, "Yer team leader, Joseph. Start actin' like it and not like a jackass. If all yer doing is arguing for the sake o' arguing, yer leaning more towards jackass."

"But she doesn't listen! She just does what ever she wants and to hell with anyone else."

"Look, kid, if all we wanted was a buncha soldiers, we woulda sent ya to the Brotherhood. We didn't teach just _you _to call the shots. We taught all o' ya to assess the situation and react as best fits. Yer right that she needs ta follow orders more," he says this louder for me to hear, "But when it boils down to it, she does. For the better of the team, the wolf should help. She knows the enemy." I'm still close enough to the door to hear Dragon sigh. Then Wolverine asks the question that I've been wondering for weeks, "So what's goin' on that's making you two butt heads so much?"

"Nothing. Don't worry about it," he mumbles back and walks out the room.

I frown at his back until the elevator doors close on him. My beeper vibrates just as the doors close and makes me jump. Pulling it out, I study the number and try to remember whose it is. Since I'm so difficult to find, they just set me up with a beeper and I have to go to them. Its Lisa's office number, I think.

Instead of waiting for the elevator to come back, I head towards the door marked 'STAIRS'. Wolverine is just coming into the hall and I duck away. I don't want to talk to him right now.

Lisa's door is open so I let myself in. Standing in front of the Asian woman, I watch her flip through pages and files with her lips pursed and a frown on her forehead. Her reading glasses are perched low on her nose and seem to be slipping further. "You rang?" I ask, making her jump enough to knock the glasses all the way off.

"Cougar," she breathes, retrieving the lenses and recomposing herself. "I spoke to many of the students. On the forefront of two of their minds was something about detention from you."

"Yea. Maria Garza and Shawna Bird," (look how good I am at remembering names now), "were sneaking out to a party early this morning. It was around 2 A.M, I think."

"Just those two?" 

"Yea." I say again. I'm still standing. She rarely offers me a chair if I scare her coming in. Like she's trying to break me of a bad habit or something.

"All right. I'm assigning them to you for punishment times and places." She goes back to her papers.

"What?" my eyebrows raise. Detention students are usually assigned to the teachers, unless one of the X-Men give it to them, then they go to Joseph. "I don't do detentions."

She gives me the briefest of glances to answer, "You do now."

I blink. What the hell kinda bug is up everyone's butts today? "I really don't have time ta screw around with the kids, Lisa." She's not looking at me and its ticking me off.

"You can do it after all of this mess of yours is cleaned up."

"It aint _my_ mess," I reply darkly.

Her dark eyes scan over a hand written note an she frowns again. "I am in charge of the students, Ms. Cougar. One of **my** students was revealed to be associated with what the government considers a national security threat." She looks straight at me now, "As you may or may not have notice, I don't exactly have time either."

Ah. There's the problem. "Don't blame yerself for Nathan being one of the bad guys."

"Ms. Frost assigns potential students based on location and age. Its my job, as headmistress of this school, to review their files, do research on them and interview both the children and their families. Somewhere during this process, I missed him being 'one of the bad guys'."

I open my mouth to speak just as Amber and Dani knock. The latter addresses Lisa, "The first half of the students are ready. Bill has the jet prepped and he's ready to load them."

"Cougar," Amber says just after her, "You have a phone call."

"Ah, Cougar," Mr. Wagner stops in mid stride at the mention of my name, "Joseph is in a conference call with Emma and Cyclops and your presence is requested."

I grunt, more from frustration than anything, and turn back to the woman who's now standing behind her desk, "You deal with the kids."

"Cougar," Amber says again, quietly, "the phone call…"

"Take a message," I answer her absently. Its probably just some parent about their cry baby kid. Around her, I ask Nightcrawler, "Where're they at?" I'm already moving out. The crowd seems to be moving with me.

"Ms. Cougar," You know, she's the only one who calls me that, "the girls are already assigned to you. I'm not about to change things for your stubbornness."

"Zey're in Joseph's office," Kurt answers me.

Back to the headmistress, "I'm not stubborn, I'm obstinate. It sounds less negative." Every once in awhile, I like to remind everyone that I'm not an uneducated country bumpkin by being semi articulate.

"Cougar, you might want to take this," Amber says again.

"I'll get back to them," I snap.

Dani speaks out again, "Lisa, what about the students?"

"Send them out. Cougar," Lisa continues to harass me all the way to Joseph's door. "This is an order."

I stop for a moment. Slowly I turn back to her, "You aint got the authority ta give me orders."

"They're approved by Joseph." She looks at me like I should have known that.

I curse under my breath as I turn the knob to Joseph's office door.

"But Cougar--"Crayola almost whines at me.

Miss Frost's voice greets me coolly via speaker phone, "Has Cougar finally joined us."

Instantly, I feel like telling her to shut up. "Can't you just read my mind 'n find out?" I goad her instead. It's funny how weirded out psychics get when they can't sense your presence.

"Sit down," Wolverine growls at me, clearly meaning 'quit looking for trouble'.

I plop myself down next to him and scowl across the desk at Dragon, "Why the heck am I suddenly in charge of detention students?"

"You issued the detentions. You can deal with them," I'm answered lightly.

"Oh, yea, that makes perfect sense. As long as anyone else issues the detentions, they're sent to the teachers, but when its ME--"

"We're not on the phone to listen to your bickering over student matters." How can she sound so prissy ALL the TIME?

"Shut up Frost." I groan immediately regretting my words.

Wolverine reaches over and smacks the back of my head just as Joseph yells, "Cougar!"

"OW!" (metal bones hurt, I'm not being a wimp) "Hey, we're all thinking it!"

I hear Emma sniff haughtily and Cyclops speaks up, "Cougar, if you're not going to be of any use to us, you may be excused."

"What use're ya lookin' for?" try to smooth things over.

"Actually," Amber speaks up, having been forgotten in the back, "Cougar, you still have a phone call…"

I'm getting a headache. "Who is it?"

Cyclops brushes her off, "We're having a meeting right now, Crayola. Take a message."

She answers me anyway, "It's your brother."

"What?" Nobody calls me here. I call everyone once a week. This can't be good.

"Cougar has a brother?" Joseph sounds confused.

"Yes she does. Remember she took a week off this last summer to visit her family."

Shaking my head, I stand up. Cyclops' voice says just as I start walking, "Well take a message and she'll get back to him."

We both ignore him, "What line is he on."

"Cougar, this is an important meeting," my team leader reminds me.

Amber looks worriedly between us and I demand again, "What line?"

"Line three…" She answers, still looking between us.

"Cougar." Frost calls out just as I walk through the door.

Two rooms down is my office. I rarely use it, but now's a good time. I close the door, pick up the phone on the way to my chair and push the flashing Line 3. "Hello?"

Silence, then, "Sister!" He always sounds surprised to hear from me.

I sigh, relieved that he doesn't sound like someone died or anything. "Roman," I greet back.

"Ya know, I was on hold for like, twenty minutes."

"Yea, we're a bit…unorganized…this week. What's up?"

There's some mumbling on his side and he says to someone in the background, "Yea, I got ahold of her." 

From the back ground I hear another man greet, "Hi Calla!"

I smile to myself, "Tell Wayne I say hi back. Doesn't he have a house of his own?"

My brother relays the question and I hear from the background, "Roman's house is funner. And he doesn't nag me like my girlfriend." To which my brother laughs and I smile again.

"Oh," he gets back to the phone, "'What's up' you asked? Nothing much, except our little sister is in the nut house."

"What?!" I yell, sounding very much like my mother.

"Yea, they said she was hearing voices and her college sent her to the psychiatric hospital."

"Well of course she hears voices, she's a psychic!"

"That's what we said, but the college said that she passed the Mutant Test."

The Mutant Test. It's one of the biggest mutant debates at this time. It tests for the presence of the active, and inactive, X-gene. Some say its against constitutional rights. Some states allow the yearly testing of kids enrolled in private schools. They want to allow it for public now too--just for the records, they wouldn't kick those kids out, of course. I'm rolling my eyes right now. Its like a new form of Mutant Registration, or a reform.

I run my claws through my hair like a comb. "Ok, so she told someone she was a mutant. They alerted the campus and to get rid of her, they had her committed on the grounds of a staged blood test. What does she have to say about all this?"

"That's why I'm calling you. They won't let anyone talk to her or visit her. They say she's a legal adult and they don't have to allow outside contact."

Leaning back in my chair I gently chew my lower lip in thought, "What kinda hospital is this exactly?"

"I looked it up on the internet. Its known for being one of the few that accept mutants readily. They're also associated with some local college for psychiatrists and, get this, they recently have three graduate students working there with projects related to mutations of the mind."

"Oh, that sounds merry," I answer without cheer.

"Yea. So I'm working with our parents and a couple lawyers, but I was wondering if you could, you know, do whatever it is you do to go check on her."

Officially, my family doesn't know that I'm an X-Man…X-Woman. Of course, we've all been on the news before. Even without the cameras focusing on me, they've managed to pick me out a couple times. Boy did I get it from my mom the first time she saw 'her baby' being thrown across the city by The Blob.

I sigh into the phone, "We're actually in the middle of a bad…thing…right now. How long has she been in there?"

"A week."

I sit up straight, "A Week!? Why the Hell didn't someone call me before?"

"Chill. No one told us right away. We only found out the day before yesterday. She hadn't called mom, so mom called her and got her room mate. She said that Laura was picked up last Sunday."

"Beautiful." My claws drum against the desk as I think, "All right, I'll run up and get her. Bring her down here for evaluations or whatever."

"You really think there's something wrong with her?"

Laura, my sister, had never struggled with her powers, she'd simply grown into them. I'd offered her to come to Xavier's but she'd declined. She could pass for normal and there for was trying college life on her own. "She's never had problems with her powers before. We'll see what we can find out here."

"All right," he sounds resolved, "give me a call when you guys get back."

"Yea, I'll probably be in a fight when I get back. How bout tomorrow?"

He laughs, unaware of how unfunny it is. "Yea, sure. Talk to ya later."

"K, Bye," I reply automatically.

He barely says, "Bye," before hanging up on me.

I hang up the phone and lay my forehead against the cool wooden desk. What a day, I tell you. My mind thinks quickly, what I should do, what I should say, and more importantly, whose butt I should kick. "All right," I say out loud to myself, "Lets go have some fun."

I leave my office and head back to Josephs, bothering to knock this time before opening the door. This time, all the older X-Men are here and look up at my appearance. I cross my arms and stay in the doorway.

Frost's impatient voice slithers through the speaker, "Oh, for God's sake, what is it this time?"

I deliberately ignore her, "Joseph, I need the mini jet."

He blinks his hazel eyes at me, "Are you kidding?" How un-leader like, right?

I shake my head, still unsure of what words to use, "I got some family business. It'll only take an hour, including travel time."

He continues to stare at me. Everyone else stares at him. The speaker phone is, surprisingly, silent. Finally, he stands up and motions me out the door. Shutting it behind us, he asks in a quiet voice, "I need to know the details, Cougar."

Understandable. "My little sister's college put her in a mental institution for hearing voices. She's a psychic, but they said she tested negative for the Mutant Test."

"Wait," he shakes his head with a frown, "They can't do mutant blood tests for schools."

"She's in a private college. In North Dakota, where they CAN do mutant blood tests in ALL schools." I continue when all he does is frown deeper, "Anyway, they won't let her talk to my family. That hospital has mutant research going on in it right now."

"So. You want to go up there and raise hell, guns blazing?" Ah, there's that condescending tone…

"No. I was thinking more of slinkin' around and figurin' out what's exactly goin' on. Then grab her and get back here."

He stares at me, obviously thinking things over. "All right. You get one hour; take the mini jet that Rogue and those guys came in. I want you to take a team member with you, too. I don't want you three states away if something goes wrong and you run into trouble, especially when we need you back here."

Neat. A babysitter. "Fine, but send someone you won't need here incase trouble runs into you."

He lets out a short humorless laugh, "I need **everybody** here, including you." Looking over my head, his eyes become unfocused with thought. At length, he decides, "Wolverine will go with you."

"Are you retarded?" I ask loudly, "Wolverine's the last one you wanna be without."

He looks convinced though, "Exactly. It'll mean you'll hurry back and he'll keep you in line." Without further discussion from my part, he marches back into his office. "Wolverine, you're going with Cougar to North Dakota. Now."

From my angle in the hall, I can see Logan's eyes narrow at the orders, "Ya need me here, **kid.**"

In the classic manner of Cyclops, Dragon leans into his desk, "You said you'd help. Well, I need you to keep an eye on her and make sure she gets in and out with out any problems. She'll brief you in the jet."

A grunt that can almost be a growl comes from the other man. From the speaker comes Mr. Summer's voice in an unamused tone, "Dragon, members of my team are there for support, not to be commandeered into side missions that shouldn't be a priority at this time anyway."

I try to think of something to diffuse the situation. But before I can think of anything Logan replies gruffly, "It's all right, Cyke. We'll only be gone an hour, right Cougar?" He doesn't bother to look at me, he's staring down Joseph, whose doing remarkably well, I have to admit.

"I'll get the jet ready," is all I say and leave them to diffuse the situation themselves.

I go to my room and get a spare uniform. All black, made from some kinda skin tight material that is NOT spandex…a gold belt with various tools (knives, some kind of super rope, a lock pick set and an emergency holographic simulator incase I get into trouble); my good gloves; soft soled black boots for sneaking around; and a long black trench coat because I'm subconscious in such tight clothes. I pull my hair into a braid in the back as I walk towards the kitchen to fill in Wolf.

She's sitting at the counter island, eating a roast beef sandwich and using her little kid voice with Emma.

"Do you eat raw meat?" the girl asks in her high voice.

"Yea. The wolves I play with would run away if I lit a fire to cook it."

The child's face scrunches up, "Ana says eating raw meat gives you worms. She says Cougar eats her meat too raw too and that she'll get worms too."

My friend's nose picks me up and she looks at me while answering, "That's only if the meat isn't fresh." To me she asks, "What's goin' on?"

"Laura's in a nut house, so I gotta go and bring her here. I should be back in an hour. Keep an eye on things, wouldja?"

She nods, "Yea, sure. Do you want me to go with?"

I shake my head, "Naw, I'm set up with a babysitter already." With a frown, I look down at the child, "What are you still doin' here?"

She shrugs her small shoulders, "I'm on the second plane. Will I get to swim while I'm there?"

I shrug back, "Dunno. Ask when you get there. But I gotta go. So, Nay, keep an eye on the school, and Emma, behave yerself."

I get nods from both of them, then start for the hanger.

Wolverine's already there, with the jet turned on. Apparently, he's flying. "Get in," he growls at me." This is my mission, so I oblige.

We're off the ground before I even have myself strapped into the co-pilot seat.

"Fill me in," he growls again, maneuvering the plane up and out.

"My sister's school sent her to the nut house saying she was hearin' voices. She's a psychic, but they said she passed the Mutant Test and was just crazy. They won't let her contact the family, or talk to them themselves. The school has a couple mutant research projects going on right now, so I wanna go see what exactly she's doin' there." I lean forward and type the coordinates into the jet's computer and it automatically adjusts it's direction. "I wanted this ta be a solo mission, so don't get all grumpy with me that ya gotta come too."

He grunts back at me and stares straight ahead. Mr. Grumpy pants…

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Thank goodness for slacker classes, otherwise I'd NEVER get this chapter done. I SHOULD be studying for an anatomy test, so all ya'll better be thankful that yer a priority:D Hope you liked it. Action in the next chapter, I think.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I haven't had one of these for awhile, so I'll put it up again. Don't own the X-Men or any other obvious Marvel characters. I want to though, so if you know any who are up for adoption, I'm a perfect candidate…big house, lots of room to run…

Review Replies:

Peteylove: isn't it hard to come up with new words? I am forever struggling with that…

Proud to be an X-Nerd: is this any sooner? I think its been about a month, but these things take time to write. And I'm glad my DC comment didn't offend you. Some comic lovers love ALL comics…though I don't know WHY.

Allen Terrill: hehe. You should write comedies, you know, those outrageous, yet strangely true-to-life ones. I think I'm rambling now. On my behalf, I just spent an hour and a half reading Ecology Concepts and Applications.

Wolfy: I'm waiting…--taps her foot impatiently--

Quote:"Life's disappointments are harder to take when you don't know any swear words." --Calvin and Hobbes

**CHAPTER 9**

With skilled experience, Wolverine lands the jet a hundred yards or so from the hospital, silencing the quiet hum of the engine that had been the only noise in the cabin since his last grunt.

"Ya got twenty minutes, kid."

I turn from studying the grounds to him, "Yer not coming?"

"Not my mission," he replies, handing me a headset, "Besides, ya said you were goin' ta sneak around. For you, that's walking right in the open; fer me that's waitin' for some kinda cover. If ya get into trouble, I'm yer cavalry."

I nod and adjust the ear piece, "Check." I hear a slight echo as it comes through the speaker of the jet. Without any more words, I climb out of the cabin and face my sister's prison.

Its really quite pleasant.

The front's not fenced off, though one can see the back is enclosed in a high chainlike with barbed wire on top. The lawn is still green and uniform and all the leaves from the tall cottonwood trees have been raked away. The bricks of the building have been painted an off-white color and the shutters of the barred windows are a calming sky blue.

Cautiously, my powers on 'high', I move forward. The front doors are shiny glass ones with a large desk right behind them. An older woman with obviously red-dyed hair sits behind it, clicking away at the computer. I watch her intently, a mere foot from the glass and all but invisible. If I go through these doors, she'll undoubtedly look up, spot me and sound the alarm. Abruptly, I veer to the right. I can hear a large blower fan.

Passing a window, I gaze through the bars at what must be the entertainment room. Board games, a T.V. and mismatched overstuffed furniture holding both listless, drugged and fidgety, high-strung patients. I move on. Around the corner of the building is a door marked "KITCHEN ACCESS RESTRICTED". There isn't a knob though, it's an exit only. Probably as a safeguard against people like me. Beyond the door is the fenced in yard, empty at this time. I stand and ponder checking out the other side of the building or following the fence and maybe scaling that when the kitchen door opens.

I stand still as a girl with numerous holes in her face and dark eye make up stands with a stack of boxes in one hand and two bags of garbage in the other. With her black booted foot, she nudges a large rock over to hold the door open while she takes out the trash.

Hey, this certainly isn't MY luck…it must be Laura's working for me. So, I let myself in. There's another old woman working at a big stove, but she pays me no mind. Cautiously, I move toward the swinging door and pause, listening. Sabertooth taught me to be paranoid, the X-Men cautious; combined, I spend a lot of time just listening, watching, smelling, even.

Its quiet on the other side of the door, but farther off, I can hear random bouts of shouting. With the old woman's back to me, I slip out of the kitchen and pad silently through the darkened cafeteria. The hall way's lit up with flickering fluorescent lights. Rooms line either side and, standing on my toes, I can peer through the wire-windows into the cells. Only some are occupied, and it takes me awhile to pick out my sister's form, slumped against a wall and staring at the bed.

Trying the door knob slowly, I find it locked. I need a card key to open it. I start toward the end of the hall, the entertainment room where I'd seen a large man sitting behind a desk and watching T.V. with the patients. An orderly comes out of one room and I freeze, pressing myself against the wall. Most people won't notice me if I walk right past them, but some are more sensitive to air currents. Better safe than sorry. He passes without so much as a glance.

The fat man at the desk is just as oblivious to my near presence as the other was. He's an idiot, too; a security card's laying on the desk right in front of him. It'll be an easy grab if he's distracted enough. Holding my breath, my clawed hand inches slowly toward the target. Suddenly, the man lets out a raucous laugh, making me jump. While he's still laughing, I snatch the card, pulling away quick enough that his jiggling belly won't touch my arm.

In seconds, I'm back in front of my sister's door and swiping the key. The room's dim, but I can see plain as a sunny day that there's another key pad on this side of the door, so I let it close silently behind me. "Laura," I whisper loudly.

She doesn't move so I say louder, "Hey."

Still nothing, so I move up to her slowly, looking around for camera's signs of a trap, anything. She's breathing. She's blinking. I wave my hand in front of her eyes, not getting a response. I crouch next to her and study the familiar face. She's pale and the dark bags under her eyes make her look paler. Her circular face looks less circular and more haggard, her cheeks sunk in, eyes dull and vacant, her red lips chapped and peeling. Long dark brown hair--always something I'd envied for its full-shininess, was greasy and limp. It looked like chunks had been pulled out.

A growl rises from deep inside me, just loud enough for Wolverine to hear over the headpiece.

"Cougar?"

I try not to let the rage I'm feeling come through in my reply, "She's not exactly in the best of conditions for traveling…"

He starts to say something, but I cut him off with a warning hiss to silence him. Someone just unlocked the door. As silent as a shadow, I slink to the opposite wall just as a squat, pot-bellied man in wire rimmed glasses and a lab coat strolls in. He's looking over a clip board and smiling jolly-like to himself. I scowl darkly at the back of his balding head.

"Well," he says cheerfully, "It looks like you're doing much better with this new medication." He groans as he squats down next to her where I'd just been, "The only problem is," he snaps his pudgy fingers in front of her face, "if you're not coherent, we can't really learn anything, can we?"

Another growl rises from my throat and he goes still. As he starts to turn in my direction, I move. One sharp kick to this head and he makes only a muffled yelp and sprawls across the tiled floor. He turns around and scuttles backwards until he hit's the wall, eyes darting wildly; unable to pick out my still form.

Pulling my lips back to reveal my sharp teeth, I snarl openly, drawing his attention.

"Dear God…" he murmurs at the sight of me.

"God?" I mock him with a frown, still making sure he can see my fangs, "In a place like _this_, with people like you, doctor, I don't believe _God_, has much say."

"Cougar…" I hear Wolverine warn me evenly over the earpiece.

I blink, annoyed at the interruption and give the headset a light tap, blocking him from hearing anything else from my end.

"Cougar, turn that back on," he growls, being ignored.

Moving slowly toward the cowering man, I start pleasantly, "Hello, Doctor. We have a lil' problem, and when I say we, I mean _you_." I drop down to my haunches on his left, making him wince. Nodding to Laura, I order still amiably, "Look on over there 'n tell me what ya see, Doctor."

His wide pale eyes continue to start at me, petrified.

Bearing my fangs, I impatiently grab his chin and force his compliance. "I said LOOK," I snarl, making him start again. Calmly I ask again, "Now what do ya see sittin' there?"

Wolverine comes into my ear angrily, "Turn it back on and get out here. This aint the time for revenge." He sounds very mad and when I don't comply immediately, he starts to yell, "If I have ta go in there, girl, I'm gonna kick yer--"

Holding down the button, I turn the headpiece off completely. "Don't ya just hate them voices in yer head?" I ask the quivering man before turning his head back to Laura and following his gaze. "So what do ya see?"

After a few unintelligent stammers, I cut him off conversationally, "Oh, I know what ya see. You see a mutant. One that's not all that powerful, so she's no real threat to ya. She's some form o' psychic, so she's perfect fer those little head experiments yer all doin' here, right?"

Again he tries to speak, a little more coherently this time, "Well, no…she's…troubled…"

My face blank, I slowly turn back to him and he shuts up immediately, eyes wider now. "I'll tell you what I see, Doctor." I allow my face to go dark with anger, "I see my little sister doped up on drugs, malnutrition, and locked in a room. Tell me, Shrink, how should this make me feel?"

I take a clawed finger and run it slowly from the crown of his fleshy head and down to his jugular vein at this throat. "Hm?" I prompt

The man gulps for air and goes rigid as I retrace the pattern with more force, threatening his thin, liver spotted skin. Finally he blurts out, "I know who you are. I know your costume. You're one of those mutant superheroes; an X-Man. If…if you kill me, the law will know where you're from. They'll lock all of you up."

I laugh softly at his boldness, staring him in the eyes. My laugh ends in a purr-like noise and he shutters, much to my delight. "Have you ever seen me runnin' around with those losers? I killed the one that this" I gesture at the X on the uniform, "belonged to." Leaning in, I say in a near whisper, "I just liked the color…" I lean back a little and look sorrowfully at him, "Does that mean I'm troubled, too?"

A sharp odor reaches my nose and I glance down to see that he wet himself. "Heh," I smirk a second before I hit him with my fist square in the temple. He slumps against the wall, out cold. I get to my feet and, hands on hips, correct him, "And it's a _uniform_, not a _costume_. Idiot."

Moving quickly, I take off his tie and use it to bind his hands and feet together. With too much effort, I haul him onto the bed and cover him with the wool blanket. Then I take both keys and grab my sister's writs. She obeys my tugging and sluggishly gets to her socked feet. With a frown, I notice the clip board. I scoop it up and hand it to Laura who compliantly holds it while I scan the hallway from the wired window. Clear.

Opening the door; I check the hall again before lugging my sister out and urging her impatiently the way I'd come. We make it, irritatingly slowly, to the cafeteria when a blaring siren starts. Instinctively, I crouch down and freeze while Laura continues to stand and stare.

When no one comes bursting through the doors, I hurriedly start pulling her again and we make it to the kitchen to come face to face with the girl from earlier. She can't be older than 16 and I hesitate to take her out.

"Come on," she says suddenly, turning and motioning to us, "Get in the freezer." Pulling the heavy door open, she urges, "Hurry."

Not knowing why, I do trust her and lead Laura into the walk-in freezer. The door slams shut behind us, enveloping us in darkness, though my eyes immediately adjust. From the other side I hear the girl ask someone, "What's going on?" A man's muffled reply comes through the metal doors and I move closer to hear the girl answer him, "No, not that I've seen."

We wait in the cold dark another minute before the door clatters open again. The girl, dressed in black, looks me over, "You must be her sister. She told me about you. She didn't tell me you were one of those superhero mutants though."

Distrustful again, I counter, "Who says I'm a hero?" Discreetly, I move the lapel of my coat to cover the encircled X on the right side of my chest.

The teen shrugs, "Either way, you're getting her outta here. She said you'd come."

Glancing back to my sister, I see her looking blankly at a frozen tub of butter, "She talked?"

"Yea, they only stated her on those drugs a couple days ago. She's real cool." Checking over her shoulder, the girl moves aside so I can get out of the freezer. My uniform is not winter wear. Laura follows without encouragement, apparently susceptible to the cold through her stupor.

Taking a hold of her wrist once more, I lead her out the door, "Thanks for yer help."

"Hey, wait," the girl follows to the door, "Are you gonna come back? For the others?"

I stop and turn back to her, "How many more are there?"

"Including me?" she asks, demonstrating her powers by shimmering out of sight and reappearing to my left, "about seven."

"You're a mutant?"

She nods.

"But you're not locked up. Why not just leave?" I'd take her myself, but there's only room for three in the mini jet.

The girl shrugs, "My 'rents sent me here. Thinking maybe they could cure me. My uncle is one of the doctors, so I'm treated better than most. I just work in the kitchen and occasionally let him get a blood sample or brainwave sample or whatever."

I frown disapprovingly. "Stay here. I can't guarantee that I'll be back right away…or that it'll be me coming, but someone will come. All right?" She nods and I turn to leave her, slightly sick with the people in the world.

I circle wide around the building to meet Wolverine in the jet. I ignore the dark look he gives me and instead place Laura in the single seat behind mine.

When he does speak, the suppressed anger in his voice is obvious, "You don't cut off communications during a mission, especially ta hide what yer doin'!"

I continue to buckle Laura in and try not to notice how submissive she is. "Yea, like you've never done it."

Roughly, he grabs my arm and spins me around to face him, "I'm not the issue here, kid," he growls dangerously. "Yer off the team and on probation till ya learn--"

Angrily, I pull my arm from his tightening grasp, "Come off it, Wolverine," I snap at him, "Ya just told Joseph that I'm not always gonna follow orders cuz it's the way **you** trained me." I'm yelling, inches from his face. Opening my clenched fists, I continue calmer, "And besides, you know full well that probation doesn't affect me. But, hey, ya go on ahead 'n tell Dragon that you put one of his team members on probation. I guarantee that it'll be off me before ya leave his office. Now fly this friggin' jet before they" I gesture angrily at some guards bursting through the shiny glass doors from before, "get here."

He glares at me. I glare back. Then he turns and does as I said, much to my surprise. Its not like he's happy about it or anything, as his flying indicates. I was ready for an airsick bag by the time we landed in the hanger.

He's out of the jet before I can even unbuckle myself. Ignoring his childish behavior (I can say this because its not me storming off), I lead my sister out and down to the med lab, where, hopefully, Medic will be.

Yup. He's setting up for the upcoming battle and the probability of injuries. I know I'll be down here. "Conner," I draw his attention and pull Laura into the room.

"Who's this?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

"My sister," his eyebrows raise more, "She was in some kinda institute and they have her on some funky drugs." I take the clip board from her hands and pass it to him. "It's all gibberish to me, but I figured with your medical background?"

His brow furrows as his emerald eyes skim the pages, "I don't really know, Cougar. I'll have to contact Dr. McCoy, maybe, to see what some of this stuff is. I'd assume that it'll wear off eventually. I didn't study mental health, only the physical stuff." He flips a couple pages. "What's this?"

Turning the clip board toward me, I see a pink sheet of paper. "Dunno," I move closer to read the top heading outloud, "Homo sapien superior…"

Conner turns it back to him and continues, "She's a mutant?" After I grunt in reply, he starts reading out loud, "…mental sensitivity to astral beings…possible telekinesis…suitable for study T-103...What's that?"

I shrug, "Didn't have time ta find out, but we're definitely scheduling another lil' trip up there. She should be OK down here though, right?"

He's still studying the charts, "Yea, just put her in a bed. Oh," he remembers something as I physically lay her down, "I almost forgot, your shape shifter friend, Natalie?" I nod and he continues, "said to call her when you got back."

"Call her?"

"Yea. She said she left a number in your room."

I frown, but start toward my room, even before I check in with Dragon.

Sure enough, there's a slip of paper on my pillow with a phone number and a quickly written, 'call me.' at the top. Probably not a good sign… But, I do what it says.

She answers on the second ring, "Hello?"

"Nay? Where are you I can barely hear you?" I say loudly into the phone that sits by my bed.

"The Feds contacted me again. They said I had to go with them or they'd come get me. I figured that you wouldn't want them coming to your _home_." She said the last word oddly.

"Are you with them right now?"

"Yea," she says without enthusiasm.

"What the heck, do they think yer their slave or something?" I shout indignantly.

"Well, they say there's one more thing I have to do for them before they let me go back to the research team in Alaska."

I snort in disbelief, "Yea, and one more thing after that, and another after that." I sigh loudly, "Should we come after you?"

She's quiet while thinking things over, "Maybeso. This next little mission they've got me on sounds kinda fun. But if I can't go back north after this then, yea. I'll have this cell phone, so call me when you can. And let me know how the fight goes, I feel bad not being there."

I shrug, then realize she can't see it, "Don't worry about it. Knowing my luck, someone from my team would go after you instead of one of the bad guys. We should be ok."

"What about Laura?"

"Dunno yet. She's over medicated, but I'll have ta deal with her later." I should make a to-do list. Deal with Joseph…Fight Sabertooth and Viper…fix my sister…go back to the hospital…go after the Feds…fight more with Wolverine…I feel unorganized.

"Well, call me and fill me in. I gotta go, they're actually starting to listen to our conversation now." I hear a man's voice from the other side. "Shut up," Wolf snaps at him and says to me, "They seem to think that they have some kind of authority over me."

We both laugh.

"All right, I'll call you later. Bye."

"Bye," she hangs up and I sit down on my bed, suddenly very tired.

"Ok…what's next on my list," I say out loud to myself. "Dragon," I say in a sigh and start toward his office.

Our alarms start to blare again, making me jump. They are excessively loud and I glare at one as if it should be affected by my look. "This better not be another squirrel," I mutter just as Dragon's voice comes over the speakers.

**"Intruders are coming in the front. This is NOT a drill. Everyone report outside. MOVE IT!"**

Without hesitation, I pivot on my foot and race toward the door. I join the rest of my team as we surge outside to face our attackers. Dragon's in the rear, just finishing the announcement. Medic flies above us, surveying the incoming. Blast takes her place in the front alongside Crayola. The older X-Men spread themselves out among us. Rogue joins Medic in the air. Gambit moves toward the front where he'll have a clear shot with his deadly cards. Nightcrawler bounds up next to Dragon. Wolverine joins me to the side of the group where I usually remain unnoticed until one of the baddies ventures to close to a team member.

"Ya ready kid?" he asks me in his gruff voice, not looking at me as he hands me an ear piece. "Keep it on this time."

I take a deep breath as I place the small receiver in my ear, "Ready as ever."

As a team, we all move forward to the entrance of our school, getting there in time to see the gates burst open and the Pack spill through.

"Shxt." I hear Conner's voice over the com link. "There's gotta be fifty of them…"

Dragon starts to issue orders. I don't hear him though. My eyes are locked onto a large man who has many of the same mutations that I do. Claws. Teeth. Odd eyes. But they're cold, dangerous killing eyes and they lock on me. Over the noise of the animal noises and fighting explosions, I can hear him.

"There's my kitty cat."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oooh, what a cliff hanger! Long enough? Short enough? Good enough? Any other Enoughs? REVIEW!


	10. Chapter 10

**Review Replies:**

Allenterrill: You are one strange dude…those links didn't open, by the way. You should try again cuz I'm curious on what the heck yer talking about, lol. Keep the reviews coming though, I appreciate them!

Lady Q: Even in your not reviewing, I'm assuming that you're reading (hoping?). I figured a cliff hanger like that would get a reaction from you.

Vballmania23: YAY! New Reviewer! Well, I'll keep writing if you keep reviewing.

Wolfy: HEY! My Mind Is NOT Just Filled With Anatomy Terms! There's some fish and wildlife terms and some ecology terms and a couple native american tribes thrown in there too.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Hehehe. In the words of Bugs Bunny "Aint I a Stinker?" I'm hoping this is out soon enough. I don't actually know the dates, and to be honest, my brain is going pretty mushy right about now from all these finals and what not's going on. BUT. I am taking time out to post this, so that counts for something, right?

Right?

STAY AWAY FROM MY TRUCK!!

AsBoringAsPeopleCome: Yay! Another new reviewer. Well, I'm glad you're enjoying this. This team needed the miraculous save by the old team because I just feel its wrong to post something under the X-Men category and not have the X-Men in it. I knew I'd have Wolverine, cuz he's my favorite, but I also wanted some others that I just miss seeing. Just had to justify my writing.

Peteylove: Sweet. New Words…well, hopefully this one will be good too. I hate writing fight scenes, as I think I've said before…

**QUOTE: **

May the stars carry your sadness away,May the flowers fill your heart with beauty,May hope forever wipe away your tears,And, above all, may silence make you strong.Chief Dan George

**CHAPTER 10**

"There's my kitty cat," Creed sneers in my direction.

I feel my heart speed up and I mentally prep myself. I've had years of training under the X-Men, I've fought him before. I'm an X-Man now. I can do this.

--snikt--

Wolverine pops his claws beside me and sneers back at the other man, "What, no 'hello' for me, ol' buddy?"

"You still think you can protect her, Runt?" He's moving toward us now and I resist the urge to hide behind Logan.

To me, the X-Man says, "I'll take out this trash, you go help where yer needed."

I nod and dart away just as the two roar, literally, at each other and charge. I'm glad I'm moving away from them, but it didn't look like Creed was too focused on me anyway. He can threaten me all he wants, it still seems like he enjoys ripping into Wolverine more.

The first one I encounter is the cheetah girl. Like I'm not sick of her already. She barely extends her claws before I punch her in the face. All she knows is how to scratch people. I know how to fight. My fist knocks her back and to the ground. Before she gets off her knees, I grab the back of her head and pound it into the cement walkway. The sound is just too gross for me, so I pull the dazed girl up and straight into another pack member. She staggers up once, but falls back down and I leave her to take on the one I'd thrown her at.

A man (boy?), covered in thick alligator skin glowers at me. Before I can even blin, his balled fist smashes into my stomach. In a blur, he moves up beside my doubled over form and hammer fists my back. I drop to my knees, out of breath. He's big, but he's a fast little sucker, moving faster than I can see, so I miss his foot connecting with my side. The force rolls me to the right and I decide not to wait for him to move again. I keep rolling, being rewarded by having his foot miss my head by inches. Feeling sluggish, I swipe my claws at his leg, managing to snag a little of his leathery skin. If it hurt him, he doesn't show it. His other foot clipping my chin hurts me though and I cry out, despite myself.

The blow makes me see stars. I wonder why they're called stars. I always thought they looked more like worms of light. Though the worms, I see the alligator man leen over me to see my face.

Without thought, I reach up at his throat and rip my claws through it. His black eyes go wide with surprise. Apparently, he thought he'd knocked me out.

He pulls back from my line of vision, clutching his throat. It wasn't a killing blow. His skin is thick and his neck is covered in folds of it. I sit up to see him holding his slashed throat and looking very scared. That's when I realize that he's still just a kid, and to him, I'm the bad guy.

I pull a handkerchief out of my coat pocket and had it to him, making him flinch at the movement. "Wait till the fight is over and Medic can take a look at you, alright?" I instruct him.

"Why would you help e?" he asks with distrust, but sits down in the grass with the handkerchief to his throat.

I look down at him and answer over the sounds of battle, "Because we're the X-Men. We're the good guys."

I leave him with a confused look on his face. The next one I encounter is a wolf, chasing after Kurt. I grab it by the scruff of the neck and pull it off its feet. Before it can snap at me, I flip it over and onto its back with my knee in its stomach and my claws applying pressure onto its windpipe. I lean in close so it can see my face. "Get Our," I snarl. The animal squirms and I dig my claws deeper into the fur. Amber eyes widen and a high pitched whine escapes the wolf. It's bushy tail curls in close to its stomach and it whines again.

I let it up. With only a glance back at me, it continues with its tail tucked out the front gate. Another wolf does a double take and follows.

Then the gorilla guy grabs me, King Kong style around the waist and tosses me like a doll high into the air and across the lawn.

As I'm flying over the battle, I think to myself, "Man, this is gonna hurt."

Strong, wiry arms catch me and slow my momentum to a halt, "Whoah there," Rogue greets me, "Hey Shugah."

"Boy, I'm glad yer here," I thank her in my own special way.

"No prob--"she halfway drops me to reach out her hand and catch another body that shoots by. Grabbing hold of Gambits ankle, we spin around twice and come to another halt in the air. "What is this, catch the X-Men day?"

"Much obliged, cher," Gambit hangs upside down and still manages to smile his smile up at the woman.

She slowly lowers us toward the earth and drops us, then flies back toward the battle.

Both Gambit and I land on our feet; me in a crouch, claws at ready, him with a charged card in his hand. The gorilla man bounds up to us, followed by a normal looking man and a woman covered in feathers. "Ya wanna be de follow up, petite?" the cajun asks beside me.

"I'll get the birdee if you get Kong."

"Agreed," he shouts, throwing three cards in quick succession. I'm right behind them.

Through the smoke, I pounce on the woman, bringing her hard to the ground. She cries out in pain. Straddling her waist, I have a clan shot at her head and take it. The girl almost dissolves under me and my knees sink into the grass. A flurry of sparrows erupts around me. They swarm, pecking, filling my sight and hearing with flapping wings.

I swing my arms at them, batting them away, smacking them off of me but they keep coming, "Damnit!" I curse them out loud, keeping on my knees and covering my eyes with one arm.

"Now!" a man's voice reaches me through the feathers. The birds collectively dart away--not a good thing. Blindly, I try to lunge forward, away from where I was balled up.

Too late.

The normal looking man swings a large 4x4 post at my head. It hits my lower back and I wish I hadn't tried to move. At least then I wouldn't be conscious for the pain. My back arches in protest and I roll to the side in an attempt to get away.

He steps forward, dramatically raising the post above his head for the final blow.

Heah. Yea. Right.

With the nerves in my back still seizing my muscles, I make a poor attempt at clawing at his leg. He side steps twice. I sit up enough to try again and he moves to my lets, still holding the board like a dork. Acting as if I was going to try my claws yet again, I sit up and promptly slam the heel of my foot into his leg, just below the knee cap.

There's a satisfying 'pop' and an even more satisfying scream as he drops the post and crumples to the ground. Kicking the board far enough away from him for my comfort, I stumble to my hands and knees, then to my feet. The man drags himself away from me, sniveling.

"Cougar, report." I hear Dragon's voice in my ear. Through out the fight, there's been constant checking. I'm checked on the least, mainly because no one ever knows where I'm at during a fight.

With a groan, I rub at my back, "Great."

From Blast I'm ordered, "Cougar, Get Down!"

With out hesitation, I drop back to my hands and knees as a blue bubble engulfs me. Looking up, I watch the sparrows crash into the force field, stunning themselves. Like a magnet, they collect together and morph back into the feathered woman from before, who's now twitching in the grass. "Thanks," I get up and start moving again. Gambit's holding off the giant ape on his own.

Through the soft soles of my boots, I can feel the earth shaking as plants respond to Dragon's powers. I stop to survey our little battle field.

My teammates take on feral after feral. As soon as one is down, they move on to the next; all the while we're watching each others backs. The older X-Men are doing the exact same thing, after all, we learned by their example. I keep looking. Many intruders are down and its clear that we're mowing through them. Our advantages are not having anyone to protect. The school would be so much less vulnerable if we didn't have any kids here. Wolverine's still duking it out with Sabertooth. Fine. Let him deal with the psycho. Which reminds me… where's Junior?

"Anyone seen Grendel?"

"Now yet. Why , are you gunning for him?" Crayola asks.

I continue to scan the crowd. One of the advantages to my mutation, I CAN search the crowd and not be a sitting duck. "No, not particularly. Its just good to know where he's at."

Medic interrupts, "Yea, well--" he grunts with the effort needed to punch a werewolf looking thing, "Don't bother with him 'cuz your old school chum's making a bee line for you."

"Aw, crap," I mutter, picking out Viper's green, scaly form. Well, at least I've got something to do now.

He sprints toward me, or my scent most likely. Already I can tell that he's kept out of the fight for the most part. He's all nice and neat, unlike me who probably looks like Tippi Hedren from the original Birds movie.

Shrugging, I take off toward him and clothesline him as he follows my scent. HaHaHa.

He jumps back to his feet and hisses, "Cougar."

"That'd be me, yes." I put my hands on my hips, "What exactly is yer problem with me, Viper?" He charges me and I side step, pushing on him as he passes and using his momentum to send him to the ground. "I mean, it can't be why everyone else hated me, like Magneto. He's a bad guy, yea, but you are too now, right?"

His foot lashes out at my legs, but he's way off. Looks like he's gotten rusty. I keep my distance though. He's a snake, both metaphorically and physically, and he's got the reflexes to match. Still talking, I circle him, "And the whole Blackstone thing was SO blown out of proportions. It can't be that little cat incident, I mean, we got into a fight, no need for a six year grudge over that."

Smooth as water, he leaps to his feet and tackles me, pinning me to the ground. It's my fault. I got too close, too distracted. His needle sharp fangs snap close to my face and I can smell the poison in his breath.

I try to push him away. "So, it was that fight," I grunt with effort. "Why?" I hook his right leg, collapse that arm, bringing him alarmingly close, and bridge my back, rolling us to my left. I'm on top now. "It really wasn't that big of a deal."

Through his gritted teeth, he hisses, "Shut. UP!" You think you know everything!?" He tries to choke me, but I tuck my chin to my chest, protecting my throat. With my own sharp teeth, I bite on e of his prying fingers. He cries out an pulls back. I'd drawn blood.

Spitting to the side with out taking my eyes off of him, I order, "Get over it, Viper."

There's so much hate and anger when he looks at me. "Hey, Nightcrawler?" I call over the headset.

"Ja?" the German acrobat replies.

"I'm like, twenty feet ta yer left. Can you come get Viper?"

My old classmate begins to squirm, but Kurt BAMFS in in seconds and quickly BAMFS away with him. I don't know where he takes him. I'd heard that the older X-Men wanted to have a talk with him.

Dragon checks in with me again, "Problem, Cougar?"

"Naw," I get off my knees and head toward where he's fighting off three ferals, "I just don't know what ta do with him."

Silently, I move up behind a wild haired woman. Lacing my fingers together, I hammer my fists down onto the top of her head. She crumples to the ground and I kick her in the back of her skull, taking her out completely. "Need some help?"

He smirks at me, "You're so violent, Cougar." He doesn't spare a glance at the woman that's coming up behind him or to his own vines and tough grasses that shoot out of the ground and engulf her.

I roll my eyes at him. We can argue and snipe at each other all day, but stick us in a fight and we're almost friendly. "Anyone hurt?"

From the edges of our battle, Wolverine hollers as Sabertooth skewers him with…I don't know what it is. A flag pole, maybe…

"Sounds like he's hurting…" Joseph answers.

"Oh yeah." I agree.

Creeds head snaps in my direction. Leaving Logan to stuggle with being impaled, he starts toward me.

"Dangit…" I mutter to myself, fighting off the fight or flight instinces. Guess which way they're in favor or?

Its scary how he just moves through the crowd. Occasionally he removes someone, his own Pack members, from his path.

"Cougar, run." Joseph says, moving in front of me and trying to slow Creed down with his powers.

"What? Screw that, I'm sick of runnin' from him." What's with this sudden bravado? I don't want to face him. Mentally, I tell myself to shut up. I find some anger deep down and bring it to the surface. Anger will totally keep me outta trouble…

"Cougar, that's an order!" Dragon snaps at me as Creed tears through the defenses.

Wolverine had left his com link off through out the battle to concentrate but his voice comes through strained, "Cougar, move."

There's something other than pain in his voice that saps the bravado right out of me. With only a moment more of hesitance, I turn tail and run.

Very Big Bad Cougar of me, huh?

From Dragon's head piece, I overhear Sabertooth snarl, "Outta my way." I glance back to see my leader duck under a killing blow and deliver a few of his own. Yay team.

I dodge and weave around people, hurtling prone bodies on my way to the school. Where am I running? I don't know. Maybe down to the holding cell. Lock myself up. Great idea. Why don't I just quit the team while I'm at it and become the school's maid?

My swift feet slow as a thought occurs to me. How'd I become the innocent, the one that everyone needs to protect?

"Ah think dey're getting' the hint an' hightailing it." Gambit observes over the shared frequency.

"Yea, but Sabertooth's still going after Cougar and Dragon's down. Medic, get over here, he's bleeding bad!" Crayola shouts, taking over as second in command. "Everyone else, try to find a way to stop the lunatic."

Wolverine grumbles, "I'm fine, Rogue. Cougar, I said go!"

I growl with frustration and turn again to see my team in hot pursuit of Sabertooth. He's only about ten feet from me. I am so smart. I'm surprised I'm still alive. Knock on wood.

I bolt before he can begin his inevitable taunt. I'm faster, I know the school. I should be ok.

But the door's locked.

"Stupid Security System!" I scream in frustration and turn around as Sabertooth's body slams into mine.

He's covered in blood and gore (his and Logan's) and when he leers down at me, I can see blood in this teeth. One hand immediately snatches my throat, the other digs its claws into the muscles of my shoulder.

I don't cry out. Goody for me. I hear the team's reactions.

"Get him off of her," Crayola orders. "Medic, keep high so you're strong enough if needed."

Blast calls out, "Rogue, watch out for Grendel!"

I hear a 'woomf' from Rogue and a drawled out "Well, that aint no way ta treat a lady."

Sabertooth hollers out loud enough for everyone to hear, "No one move or I'll rip out her pretty little throat." My team freezes. Wolverine limps to join them.

"What the hell do you want with me?" I glare fiercely at him.

"ooh, you've grown bold since I last seen ya." His claws dig further into my shoulder, "Better remember yer place, kitty cat."

I spit at him, "It sure as hell aint with you."

"We got a score ta settle about that.." With force, he pulls me away from the one door and slams me back into it. "I don't like people messin' with my head." His fingers tighten around my throat and I can feel the blood flow become cut off.

I choke out, "Yea, well, as I recall, those were yer plans for me." The edges of my vision start to darken. For some reason, my ring finger's claw is always sharper than my others. I use this one to rip through the inner wrist of his strangling hand.

Through skin, muscles and veins, I slice his tendons and his fingers immediately go slack. The blood pressure in my head rapidly returns to normal.

He laughs at me, leaving his limp hand on my collar bones and letting his blood rip down the front of my uniform. "Learned some new tricks."

"You just gonna pin me ta the well and jaw all day?" I'm itching to tear into him and maybe if he lets me go, I can do so with some help.

"No," he smiles really creepy at me, "No, we're goin' on a little trip. And if any one so much as BREATHES while we're leavin', I'll break yer neck." Again he smiles, "I'm gonna take you with me, kitty cat."

I snort, "And what?"

"Wolverine," he growls at the advancing man without turning to look at him. His claws go back to my neck, breaking the skin this time. His other set curls up, tearing through more muscles in my shoulder.

I breath in sharply and Logan stops moving. I can see his face. He looks much angrier than I've ever sen him. His voice is low and quiet, "Let her go, Creed."

Sabertooth's attention returns to me, "What am I gonna do with you? Don't worry, kitty cat. It'll be fun. He leers down at me and my stomach tightens with fear, "At least for me."

The other door swings open, but I don't take my eyes off of Creeds as he continues, "Ya smell scared, girly…"

"Sissy!" my little sister's voice addresses me brightly. I tear my eyes from my tormentor to her smiling face. Her dark brown eyes turn from me to the other. "Oh. Let my sister go." she commands with a blank face, now.

"Sister, huh" his eyes flash between us with a perverted look.

Her face still blank, she continues in an emotionless voice, "You've killed a lot of people…They'd like to have a word with you."

He stats to laugh, but stops suddenly and gives his head a slight shake. "Quit sneakin' around in my mind," he growls, removing the hand from my throat to swipe at Laura. His hand freezes before it lands its blow.

"My, they are quite angry with you…"

"Stop it!" he snarls.

She continues, "Can you hear them? Listen to their out rage. Hear their cries? And there's so many…"

His claws pull sharply out of my should and I grunt from the abrupt pain.

"Shut UP!" he lunges at my sister and I grab at him, but it's a wasted effort. Stiff as a corpse, Creed starts to hover off the ground, his eyes surprisingly wide. Laura stands still and watches him.

It's not my sister.

I let Creed go and step away as he snarls and struggles against unseen hands.

Wolverine moves up behind me and asks her, "Are you doin' that, kid?"

She turns her blank stare to him. "No. They are."

He frowns, "Who?"

"The dead people."

Crayola comes up and frowns at the floating psychopath. She turns to Gambit, "See if Rogue needs any help with Grendel."

The Cajun smiles, "Gambit thinks she's havin' fun…" He turns and indicates Rogue throw psycho Jr. across the lawn and fly after him for a follow up.

The second in command shrugs and addresses the previous problem, "Can the…dead people…move him to a holding cell?"

"If they want…but that's not what they want. They want him dead too. Brown eyes turn back to the still growling man. He starts to move.

"Crayola looks between the two, "Can't you stop it?"

A pert reply, "No."

He starts to move faster and higher, over the school and out back into the woods. He screams and they we can't hear him any more.

"What did she do with him?" Amber asks me.

I shake my head, "I don't know."

"Well, she's YOUR sister--"

Again I shake my head, "No…she's not…I don't know what she is…"

The…thing smiles at me, but its not Laura's smile. "What do you mean, sissy?"

I can't help but cringe at the name. She's never called me that. Something's wrong; she's all wrong. My hackles raise as she steps toward me. I step back into Wolverine.

"Of course I'm your sister…" Its eyes stare at me, hollow and emotionless, the smile is just a front.

A growl trickles through my lips and I can feel my heart beat quicken. "Get it away from me."

Wolverine puts a hand on my shoulder, "Cougar?"

I step back into him again, trying to keep space between me and the thing, "Get it away!" I snap at anyone who'll listen.

Nightcrawler moves between us and physically stops it. My sister's face switches from a smile to a darkness that I've never seen before, "I'm your sister now." Mr. Wagner starts steering it backwards into the school. Around his shoulder it continues, "There's nothing you can do. This is mine now. She's dead. She's gone. And I'm here."

I order Nightcrawler, "Put her in a holding cell."

Turning my back on her, she starts to laugh. It's not Laura's laugh; its not my sister's laugh. It's something else and it scares the hell outta me. I push past the gathering X-Men and stalk off far enough as to not hear that laugh.

Ana's voice asks me softly over the com link, "Cougar, I don't understand. What's wrong?"

I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. "She's possessed. She's possessed by a ghost."

Then Rogue throws an unconscious Grendel on top of me. I'll assume she didn't know I was there. Either way, it is the PERFECT ending to the day…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

So? Review, plz. Good chapter, despite the stupid fight scenes that are SO repetitive on my part? I'm starting on the next chapter, but this is finals week, so don't expect anything too quickly…


	11. Chapter 11

**Review Replies:**

**Proud to be an X-Nerd: **Your reviews are always so fun to read. You liked the ending then, huh. --evil smile-- Yer gonna love this…

**Wolf: **Yay us for finishing finals and not bashing our brains into the walls! Course, Greentree would prolly charge us big for the blood stains…I have a spin off in mind for Wolf. Let it be in my head for awhile. Its developing…

**Vballmania: **Woot, new reviewer. I think I like cliff hangers…

**AllenTerrill: **I love to read crossovers of all kinds, but I don't know anything about the Academy X comics. I've heard of Hellion before, but I thought it was a group of kids under Rogue or something.

**Lady Q: **Such enthusiasm! I like to write about ghosts. They're creepy, and even if someone doesn't believe in them, they still get scared at the movies if they watch a ghost story.

**Dgrub:** Glad you like the stories. Personally, I don't much care for fics that revolve completely around an OC, but that's what I ended up writing. Odd how things work out, eh? But because this IS an X-Men fic, I felt obligated to sprinkle in some of the X-Men. I wouldn't dream of having Cougar worry about any of their old problems. Good Lord, she'd prolly have an ulcer by the second chapter. I did have her mention Jean Grey's latest death (is she still dead?) just because I wanted to maybe play with Emma Frost a little.

**Quote: ****"Copy from one, it's plagiarism; copy from two, it's research."- Wilson Mizner (1876-1933)**

**Chapter 11**

I'm sitting in the Med lab with an ice pack on the large lump on my head. "How's Dragon?" I ask Ana as she bandages my torn up shoulder. Medic's passed out on the bed behind me.

"Well," she eyes our leader, also passed out on a bed, "Conner said he should be awake by morning and will probably be sore. Sabertooth cut him up badly."

"Yea, well at least Conner got to him soon enough."

Amber's blue hair catches my eye as she comes in, "Hey guys, we need to have a wrap up meeting. Cougs, are you up for it?"

I nod and wince with the effort. "Yea, sure." I look at Ana, who's frowning while taping my wound. "Am I good to go, doc?"

"Yes. But you should have Conner look at this when he feels better."

I'm already putting my t-shirt back on. The tattered old shirt fits right in with my ratty jeans and bare feet. I dress like a bum whenever I can.

With both girls on either side of me, we start toward the conference room. "Hey, guys?" I ask them, "I'm not gonna faint or anything…"

"You have a concussion," Ana points out.

"I'm fine." Really, its just a headache now.

"You lost a lot of blood too," she continues.

"I've lost more'n that before." The last thing I need right now is a couple of mother hens.

We get to the meeting room before they can retort.

Everyone's assembled about the round table, minus Conner and Joseph. Grateful to be sitting, I take up my usual spot. I have a usual spot so that everyone can find me quicker to yell at me. Hehe.

Amber starts the meeting in Joseph's absence, "All right, so overall we won." weak smiles, but it's clear that we're all relieved. "Dragon's recuperating. He should be fine in the morning and Medic is resting now." She puffs out her cheeks and blows through her lips. "We have seven people in lock up. Most of them are still out, but Conner checked all of them over to make sure that no one was seriously injured. There's four that are here voluntarily. For security reasons, they're in a holding cell too. From the gates cameras, those that got away seemed pretty scattered. I'm not too sure if they'll regroup or not since we've got Grendel and, from previous experiences, Sabertooth probably won't go and recollect them." She looks to Logan for confirmation but he just shrugs. "Cougar, what happened to your wolf friend?"

I shrug too. "The Feds came and got her. She said she's fine with them, but we might have to go rescue her eventually." Which reminds me…"Oh, and that nut house my sister was in? They're holding a buncha mutants against their wills for experimentations. We should probably to help them out too."

"Big job?" she asks with raised eyebrows.

"Naw. You could probably just go in there and bully the receptionists into letting them go. They're kinda pushovers." Wolverine snorts at my comment, but I ignore him.

"All right. We'll fill Dragon in on that when he gets up and send out a couple people. Also, Ana, could you get on the line with the California school and let them know that the teachers and kids can come back tomorrow?"

"Sure."

"And…" Amber actually looks uncomfortable to speak. GASP. "We kind of need to know the situation with your sister, Cougar. Not to pry or anything, but we can't just keep her in a holding cell forever." When we set up base here, we scoffed at the idea of having four holding cells. Guess we needed them after all.

I purse my lips and look down. Where to begin? "Laura's some kinda psychic. She didn't wanna go to Xavier's to get evaluated or anything, so I don't really know specifics. Weather it's a mutation or not, she can see ghosts and her powers kinda feed them. There's high spiritual activity around her. They like to move stuff. She talks with them, so its not like they drive her crazy," then again, look where I found her…" Just like the living, there's good and bad spirits. She once told me that the good ones protect her from the bad ones. I think the doctors might have done something that messed it all up and one of the bad ones took over."

Dubious looks from around the table. "So," Rogue asks, "What are ya'll gonna do?"

"I dunno. Get Lisa at poke around her head and bring Laura back out? Yer guess is as good as mine." No one contradicts me by pointing out that the ghost thing claimed Laura to be dead. That's nice of them.

"Maybe I should call and have her come back tonight?" Ana suggests.

"Yea. She can bring back some of the older kids too." Amber sighs, reminding all of us that we're tired. "Thanks everyone, for sticking around and helping. Any suggestions on what to do with our prisoners?"

"Call up New York," Gambit answers, "See if Scott wants us to take dem back with us."

Rogue turns to Logan, "Are you comin' back with us too?"

He glances at me before replying gruffly, "No. I'm gonna stick around here for awhile more."

I narrow my eyes at him but he doesn't notice. Or care. He's not telling someONE someTHING…

"Great. I'll get back to you on what he says. Meeting adjourned and all that garbage." We are SO formal here, Cyclops would crap his pants…

I slip out of the crowd and head down toward the holding cells. Don't ask me why, I don't know either.

The first cell, as I can see from the monitor outside the door, holds the female prisoners. The next holds the males, Viper included. The alligator boy is in the third cell. I don't know what we'll do with them, probably ship them all off to different schools. Our current students wouldn't be too welcoming of intruders. I know this from experience. The last holding cell holds Laura, for lack of a better term. She's strapped down in a bed. Against my gut feeling, I go into the room.

"Isn't it ironic," she asks while staring at the ceiling, "that you just took me out of an insane asylum, and then have your superhero friends lock me up and restrain me just the same?" She turns to look at me and I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Irony, I assume, hasn't changed definitions since my time."

"Who are you?" I demand. It's not really too threatening since I'm across the room and clearly not willing to take a step closer.

"I'm Laura." she smiles coyly at me.

I feel my face harden," No, yer not."

"I am now."

Fine. I'll play it her way, "Who'd ya used at be?"

"Why do you speak like that? So…" she looks back to the ceiling in search of the word, "ungrammatically. Your sister didn't speak that way."

I talk like our farm bred dad. She talks like our city raised mom. It's been a family discussion for years. "You'd know the answer to that if you really were Laura. Answer my question."

"Who was I? At one time, I was Rebecca. And then I wasn't. I wasn't anything. And now I'm Laura."

My jaw tightens, "Rebecca, yer dead. Go to God."

She huffs at me, "That may have worked if I were some house spook who doesn't know her place. But, you can clearly see, that's not the case." She smiles at me. "You know, I'm here to stay and there's really nothing you can do about it."

A growl rumbles from my throat as the door opens.

Gambit takes ahold of my arm by the elbow, "Come on, petite. Remy think you need some air."

I glare at the thing as gambit steers me out backwards. The door closes on it's stupid smile.

"Yo' face's gonna freeze like dat, petite," he notes casually. After I turn a scowl at him he adds, "Dat aint much better."

I can't help but let out one of those short, almost laughs. "And she called _me_ ungrammatical."

"It's all part o' Gambit's charm." He turns more serious, "Ya'll right?"

'No,' I think. "Yea," I say. Confused? Me too. "What are you doin' down here?"

"We're takin' off 'n comin' back with de bigger jet fo' yo' prisoners. Gambit was just comin' down at see what he'll be dealin' with."

"Pretty bunch, aint they?"

"Oui."

I sigh. I'm tired. Its probably only around nine o'clock and I'm beat. "Have a safe trip back and I'll probably see ya in the morning. I'm goin' ta bed."

"Ya look tired, petite," he points out.

I make a face at him, "Well that aint too chaming."

He laughs. Good. At least someone can.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

It's not until the second time she knocks that I realize someone's at the door. These stupid ghosts have been knocking since I got into bed; whispering in my ear and tipping things over on my dresser. At first I hid under my blankets. It always worked before. I shove the covers away and storm to the door. Its only ten thirty, but I'm pretty sure I won't get to sleep tonight.

I pull the door open just as Amber starts to knock again. "Cougar?" She looks me over, "Everything all right? I heard--" her eyes widen as something falls loudly off ofm y dresser behind me. "What the hell was that?"

Looking over my shoulder, I growl, "Keep it up. I'll get a priest ta exorcise yer astral butts outta here." I've been threatening them for the last half hour. They don't seem to care, but then again, they're already dead…

There's a goosebump raising whisper in response and something else falls. "Ghosts." I answer her.

"Do you see them too?"

"No," I sigh, "Every once in awhile whemn I was a kid I'd hear them. But Laura's powers give them…strength. They're buggin' me now ta tell me ta fix this mess, I assume."

She stares at me for a moment. "That's kinda creepy, Cougs."

"Mhmm…"

She gives her head a slight shake, "Anyway, I was also gonna tell you that Lisa's back. She left as soon as Ana called."

I look over her shoulder, "I don't see any students. Did she actually leave them there to enjoy themselves?"

She gives me a wry smile, "No, but she didn't feel the premises was secure enough."

I roll my eyes. "Well, can she take a look at my sister's head, or is she hittin' the hay?"

"She's down there now." Amber's face softens, "Did you want to go down?"

I make a face, but nod, "Yea. Lets see what she can find." Really, I'd much rather stay up here with these bloody ghosts than go down there, but, what the heck.

The thing is lying on the bed where I'd left it. Both Lisa's eyes and its own are closed, though the former looks like she's concentrating quite hard. Lisa's sitting in a chiar next to the bed, white knuckling the arms and scrunching her face. She sighs heavily and her dark eyes open at last. "I can't find her," she states simply.

"What do ya mean?"

"I mean," she flexes her long fingers and sighs again, "I can't find her. She's buried too deep."

"Hm." I grunt at my feet. "Well thanks for tryin', I guess."

"Are you all right Cougar?" Amber asks softly.

"Yea." I pivot on my bare feet and stalk out the door before she continues. I need to think. I need to be alone to think. Hesitating for a moment, I decide to go to the roof. Stopping at my room, I shove on shoes and an old sweat shirt.

The air's cold and I'm glad that I took the time to dress. Its getting into late fall, almost Thanksgiving time, and my breath comes out as white steam. As I sigh, the door behind me opens. I glance over, suddenly paranoid of Sabertooth. Its just Wolverine, though, and I turn back to stargazing. He'll figure out I'm up here.

He's at my elbow in moments. "Ya know, yer a sittin' duck up here."

Blandly, I reply, "No, I'm not."

"Ta Creed ya are."

I look over at him but he's not looking back. "So. What were his plans for me?"

"Dunno." He's still not looking at me, despite my own penetrating stare.

My cat eyes narrow, "Bull. He talks when he fights. I know he told you."

He turns to me and scowls, "It doesn't matter as long as ya keep clear o' him."

"Oh, yea," I growl at him, "Cuz I really go out looking for him. Just tell me."

"Lets just say that killin' ya wasn't in the immediate future."

"What was?" I press.

He sighs, obviously tiring of me, "Rape. Torture. Brainwashin'. Among other things."

"And you believed him?"

Its not really a question, but he answers me anyway, "Yea."

I press my lips together and look back over the school yard, "Hmmm…"

We're quiet for awhile before he adds, "If I ever tell ya ta run again, kid; do it."

I nod once, and then ask, "Do you think he's dead?"

"Ask yer sister."

Shrugging, I reply, "She aint exactly available."

"Amber told me."

This surprises me. There's no real reason why she should tell him that….then I think outloud, "And then she told you ta come find me."

"No. She told me that you took off."

I look back to him, "So why DID you come find me?"

" don't think you should go anywhere by yerself for awhile."

Blinking, I can't keep the edge from my voice, "I'm on _probation_?"

He scowls at me, "Its for yer protection."

"Creed spooked you, didn't he?"

He doesn't answer me. We stop talking about it and I sit up on the roof for as long as I like. Then I go inside without so much as a word to him, even as he follows me to my room an sniffs outside my door when I close it on him. Checking for boogey men in my closet. Probation. Bleh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, I sit over my over sized cup of coffee and stifle a yawn. Rough night.

"Hey Cougs," Amber bounces into the kitchen. She's always bouncing. It irritates me. I grunt back and she asks, "Rough night?"

I blink at her in response. Out of all of my team mates, she seems to be able to notice me more than the others. I've always wondered why that was.

"Well, Lisa kept trying but she suggested that we call in a stronger psychic. What do you think?"

"Yeah," I grumble, "Call who ever'll come." I don't want to talk about it.

"All right," she grabs an apple from the counter. "I'll get on that. Josephs awake by the way. I assume he'll be wanting to talk to you."

"Why?" I grunt again.

"Oh, don't be surly, you know he checks in on everyone." She takes a large bite of the apple.

With a final grunt, I take my coffee cup to the offices. He's most likely there. Over achiever.

Yup. Sitting at his desk and looking over some papers. Security pictures, actually. He looks like he just took a shower; his hair looks black when its wet, not tinted with moss. Softly I knock on the door frame and he looks up.

"Ooh," he motions toward my excessively large coffee mug, "Big Cup. You must've had a rough night." They know me so well. The corners of my lips turn up just slightly as he continues, "How are your injuries?"

I shrug the shoulder that Creed tore into. It hurts, but I hide the wince behind a sip of brew. "Not bad. Yours?"

He presses a hand to his chest, "Not too bad either. He left some gnarly marks though. Conner says they'll be gone in about a week though. I'm not too bruised up either."

"Yea. You looked nasty when we brought you in." I stuff my free thumb into my jeans pocket. Creed had almost killed him and I felt guilty about it. "Ya woulda fared a lot better if ya woulda just stayed outta his way."

His eyes don't meet mine when he says, "We had to slow him down. Keep him away from you."

"Not if it gets you killed too." I correct.

He does look up now, "From what I understand, he was planning on doing a lot worse to you."

I shrug and change the subject, "Did you wanna see me?"

He hums while he thinks, looking down at his normally neat desk, now littered with…everything. There's surveillance pictures, meeting logs, some phone messages, a couple students papers and three or four dirty coffee mugs. "No. Not really…Oh," he looks at one meeting log in particular, "What about that hospital that we need to visit?"

"There's a girl who works in the kitchen. She's a teleported, but she's got one of the doctors in her family tree, so she's treated pretty nicely. She should be able to help you get the others out.

"All right, and the coordinates should be in the hanger's log book?"

"Of course," I think quick to remember if I really had entered any info into the book. I THINK so…

"Other than that, just to let you know, there will be some of the older X-Men coming today to pick up the prisoners and friendlies. After they're gone I'm calling the students back. Lisa doesn't think that its safe for them yet, but we have no reason to believe its not."

I shrug. Three years of living with the teachers and we're still fighting over authority boundaries. Oh well, not my problem.

Draining the bottom of the cup, I slip out of his office. I leave the mug in the kitchen and wander toward the front door. Its Monday, but without any kids, we don't have any classes. I figure someone's got to clean up the battle mess.

The front lawn has looked better. Step stones are smashed; our stupid fountain is ruined (I thought it looked ridiculous anyway); our trees and bushes are torn up and smashed down; there's pot holes everywhere from explosions; and patches of blood look brown in the morning sun. Lovely.

I don't exactly know where to start. I should go get the wheel barrow and start hauling broken rocks and cement to the back rubbish pile. The door behind me opens and I glance over my shoulder to see Lisa.

"Cougar?" She calls out a little too loudly considering that I'm only ten feet away. I didn't realize I'd been shielding myself.

"Yes?" I reply just as loudly, making her jump and frown all at once.

"I was under the impression that you were not to be alone outside," she answers with pursed lips.

I roll my eyes, "You gonna baby sit me while I clean up this mess?" I start walking without waiting for her answer. She follows and I slow a step so she can catch up. "Did you want something in particular?" I ask. Hm. The back yard doesn't exactly look up to par either and it takes me awhile to locate the wheel barrow in the back near our tree line.

"About your sister's powers…what form of psychic is she, exactly?"

I sigh, "I don't know, actually. She sees dead people. Parapsychic maybe?" I turn to her, "Is that a word?"

Lisa sighs lightly. If there was a proper way to sigh, she can do it. "Oh, I don't know."

The bird feeder sways slightly behind her, full of seed. My brain catches on to something and I frown, "Lisa?"

"What?" She turns to look over her shoulder and turns back when she doesn't see anything.

"Where are all the birds?" My stomach tightens with paranoia.

Its not paranoia if Creed shoots out of the woods, which is exactly what he does.

He spears me to the ground and back hands me hard enough to make the edges of my vision go dark and my head spin. I hear Lisa scream in surprise. Maybe that's why she's not an X-Man…

Sabertooth leaves me on the ground, nearly senseless, to go after her, "Stay outta my head. You might not like what ya find." I stumble to my knees to see him lifter her off the ground by the throat.

A snarl escapes my lips and I lunge forward. He's not facing me and I take advantage of it by slashing the back of one of his knees. My claws dig deep enough to damage one of the tendons. The leg gives out on him and he throws Lisa into the air and against a tree in order to catch himself. Lisa slumps to the ground as he turns back to me.

I scuttle away and try to regain my footing. Not sure of where to run to, my instincts just scream at me to move.

Large hands grab my hair and pull me back. I grunt at the pain and mentally curse myself for wearing my hair loose today. Grabbing ahold of his hand, I pull him closer, reducing the pain and cause a little of my own. My claws leave four deep gashes across his face and damage one of his eyes. He lets go of my hair and I send my feet into his stomach.

He bends over for a second then comes after me again. I face him and kick him in the throat. I'd been aiming for his head, but it was too high up for my powerful kick. I'm sure I crushed his windpipe though, because he makes some God awful noises when he tries to breathe. I don't give him a chance to heal before I try to punch him in the face. He takes the hit, breaking his nose, but he catches my arm just the same.

"So ya like it rough, kitty cat?" he leers down at me as I try to twist my arm away without turning my back to him. I hear the back door crash open, but it seems like a long way away. He hits my face again and I fly back as far as his hold will allow me. I'm dizzy suddenly, "Ya know, I had some great plans for ya, but it looks like our reunion is gonna be cut short." He lets me go and kicks me in the gut as I drop. The air wooshes from my lungs. "Guess I'll just have ta kill ya and get it over with."

"Cougar!" I hear Blast yell. My head rolls to the side and here she comes with Wolverine…But they're so far away, and Sabertooth's already starting to carve me up despite my squirming, kicking, clawing self.

I scream as he rips through my abdomen muscles, spilling my guts to the forest floor. He tries to accomplish more, but a streak of blue plasma engulfs him and sends him away from me.

I close my eyes against the pain and try not to scream again as more of it hits me in waves. A breeze shoots over my head and I open them for a second to see Wolverine as he hurdles the mess that is me and does some slicing of his own.

Ana orders him, "Wolverine, Get back!"

My vision goes dark.

"Shxt. MEDIC!" Logan's by my side a moment later.

I try to sit up in my delirium. Maybe I can help? I throw my head back and hold back a strangled cry.

I'm losing too much blood. There's so much of it…I'm getting cold…

Hands hold me down and Wolverine orders me, "Just stay still kid, don't move," above my head he hollers, "Conner! Get yer ass over here!"

Maybe I should put my intestines back into the cavity. Don't want them to get dirty…

Again, he stops me by catching my now bloody hands and telling me, "Just stay still…"

He says something else, but I can't hear him anymore.

…_the world goes dark…_

Pain flashes across my cheek. Logan slaps me again, "Stay with me kid…Hey!" Another slap but it doesn't hurt.

_Conner says something._

"Cougar!" Conner places shaking hands above his dying teammate.

…_Everything's dark…_

Ana turns from her captive and asks, "What's happening back there?" Her tanned face is pale from the sight of so much blood coming from her friend.

…_Everything's cold…_

Wolverine shakes the girl slightly, "Come on kid, stay with us…Hurry Up!" he snaps at the boy.

…_Everything's gone…_

…_I'm gone…_

The girl on the forest floor stops breathing.


	12. Prologue

**Review Replies:**

**All: **Ha Ha Ha.

**Quote:** Of course behaviorism works. So does torture. --W. H. Auden

**Prologue**

"Logan, she's not breathing," Conner pulls Cougar's hand towards himself and feels for a pulse. He gets none. "Start CPR."

"Just heal her already," The man known as Wolverine drops the girls other hand and starts the CPR regardless. "Why's it not working?" he growls before giving her a few breaths.

"I…I can't…" Conner stumbles over his words, "I can't heal the dead…"

Ana turns from her captive, "What?"

Twenty feet away from where he'd killed the X-Woman, Victor Creed is imprisoned in an air tight force field, and its gradually suffocating him. "Let me OUTTA here, you X-Brats!" he snarls, wasting more of his air. His breath starts coming in sharp gasps.

Dragon and Crayola crash through the brush. The former, ever being the leader, takes the situation in in an instant. "Blast, you're killing him!"

"I know," the Hispanic woman replies darkly, not taking her eyes off of her fiancé. "Conner, what did you say?"

"Blast, Stand Down!" Dragon orders her. His eyes are torn from her to his other teammates, surrounding a horrible patch of blood and worse things. He swallows hard and whisper, "Oh, God…what did he do?"

"I said I can't heal her if she's already dead.." Conner starts breathing quicker, "I'm trying, but its not working…"

"Ana," Joseph turns back to the other problem and he speaks softly, rationally to her, though his own hands are shaking, "Ana, killing him won't make this better. Ana, look at me," he pleads.

"_You're not dead," a whispy child-like voice says from somewhere; or no where._

"_What?" I ask, looking up from my teammates disorder. Everything down there is disorder. It's not like that up here, over here, where ever I am now._

"_I said, you're not dead," the little girl moves closer to me._

_I look back down to Cougar's body. The floor is black with the blood that poured out of her battered body. "I think I am dead."_

Wolverine continues to perform the rhythmic cycles of chest compressions and mouth to mouth, cursing all the while, "Just keep tryin' kid," he mutters to the obviously shaken Medic, "Keep tryin'."

"Oh, God, Oh, God…" Amber seems to shrink in on herself, huddling against a tree, tears start to pour out of her vivid green eyes. "She can't be dead…"

"_No," the girl corrects me, "We'll put you back. But we must tell you something first."_

_I look back to the girl with blonde curls. "What?"_

"_Your sister is running out of time."_

_My sister. I'd forgotten about that problem. About all of those problems. They didn't seem so important where I am. "Where is she?"_

"_Like you, she's close to her earthly self, but she's been away too long. She's starting to fade. Tell the mind reader to look beyond the body, beyond the astral mind and deeper into the spiritual plane. There, she'll find your sister, but she must hurry."_

Sabertooth collapses inside the bubble, gasping now for what little oxygen is left.

"Ana, please don't do this," Joseph pleads some more, "Please don't make me stop you from doing this…" He turns to Amber for help, but she's hugging herself and shaking with tears.

"If she doesn't live, he doesn't live," Ana replies with a hatred that her teammates have never seen.

"It's not working Logan," Conner shakes his head.

"_Who are you?" I ask._

_With a small smile, she answers, "She call us her friendlies."_

"_Are you the little girl she used to see at the farm?"_

_She smiles again, but doesn't answer because I scream as feeling, pain, tears through my self like molten lava. "What's happening," I gasp, followed by another wave of pain._

"Wait!" Logan barks to shut his disorganized group up, "I'm getting a pulse. Medic, get back down here!"

Medic immediately drops back to his hands and knees. His hands glow with light, "It's working."

_With a hint of envy, the girl explains, "You're living."_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Aint I a stinker. I still expect reviews on the last chapter! No skipping! Fill my inbox with your remarks on my evilness!

Ha Ha Ha.


	13. Chapter 13

**Review Replies:**

Balecka92: They didn't pull her out of her body, she was dead, they just met her on the way. Out of body experience. And I'm not evil…just mischievous…

Wolfy: Not really a plan, I just decided to kill Cougar for a bit. It DID help with the ratings though…look how many reviews I got? By the by, you've got a fic of yer own, didja know? Look it up under my name.

Lady Q: I'm glad you liked it :D I can't kill off Cougar (for good). She's too fun.

Geminia: Short 'n Sweet chapters sometimes do better than long ones, don't you think?

Vballmania: There were very few people who DID review both chapters. Thanks for that and I'm glad you liked them.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Scared ya didn't I? hehe. I'm not sure how much I like the whole ghost angle either, but I figure it fits, especially in that last chapter. Thanks for the awesome comment.

Dancergirl: I hope this was quick enough, but I'm working full time and trying to find housing for a city that's a six hour drive away. AND I have a beagle puppy with a bladder infection to top it all off. Sorry for the side rant about my life. I appreciate the reviews

**Quote: **Becky: "We're having an ethnic potluck. What ethnicity are you?"

Shawn: "Uh…Caucasian?"

Becky: "…Never mind, I'll call your mom and ask her…"

**Chapter 13**

The first breath huts, and I immediately begin coughing. With my blood splattered hands, I push Wolverine away. The searing pain of my fatal injuries hits me like a ton of bricks and I scream.

"Hold her still," Conner orders the other man, "Amber, get to the medlab and get an IV ready. There's a number on the desk down here with the name Nick on it. Call him and have him send some blood, she's gonna need a transfusion. Everyone's blood type is on a sheet of paper taped to the wall above the desk."

Amber hesitates, looking between me and Ana, then sets out in a dead sprint toward the school. Oh. Maybe I shouldn't use that phrasing. No more dead ness…

"Ana," Dragon tries to reason with the woman, "Cougar's gonna be OK, but you won't be if you kill him…"

"The world will be better off," she shoots back as Creed collapses to his hands and knees. The whites of his eyes show as he loses consciousness.

"Ana--" I gasp and bite back another scream, "Don't"

Her brown eyes lock on mine. We stare at each other, though its hard for me to keep her in focus. She drops the force field and I close my eyes…

"Try to keep her awake."

"Come one kid," Logan gives my face a light tap.

I squirm as Conner does his thing, whimpering as waves of heat spread throughout my body. The healing process is normally slow. Your body can adjust. Mine can't at this pace. I cry out as Conner pitches forward from exhaustion. Again, I try to move away from him, like it wouldn't hurt if he wasn't helping.

"Sorry," he mumbles.

My eyes close.

Wolverine shakes me, "Try'n keep 'em open, darlin'."

"Screw you," I reply weakly through clenched teeth as another wave hits.

"There ya go," he answers with a relieved look.

"Alright," Medic gasps, "She's stable. Needs some fluids. Get her downstairs."

I pull away from Wolverine and start to crawl. He tries to pull me back but I start to vomit. Blood and chunks of things I don't want to know about come up. My muscles aren't healed enough and a different kind of pain washes over me. I fall to the side of my puke puddle and curl up into a ball, swallowing screams and tears.

Someone scoops me up and starts jogging toward the school. I whimper as much as I try not to, and Logan speaks softly telling me I'll be all right and to just hold on. Thought his voice is still gruff, it's the most gentle I've ever heard it. I wonder if I'm going to die. Well, again.

I wake up again when I'm put in the bed and someone has top hold my arm still so they can put the IV in. Wolverine has to growl at me to hold still and quit squirming. Maybe I won't die. That'll be nice.

"Jesus," I hear amber say quietly to some one else, "She still looks pretty rough."

Joseph answers, "Conner just needs a quick break and drink of water; then he said he'll start again. We have to keep an eye on him too. Make sure he doesn't over do it."

"The fluids should help," she replies while strapping my arm with something and taping monitors to me. She moves into my line of vision, "You're going to be all right Cougs, OK?"

"This sure 's hell don' feel 'll right," I mumble taking slow and shallow breaths. She puts an oxygen mask over my nose and mouth. My eye lids are so heavy… "Can I sleep now?…Jus' gotta sleep 't off…" No one hears me, then Logan leans in. I open my eyes a little more so he doesn't go all slap crazy on me again.

"Yea kid, just rest for awhile…"

Doesn't have to tell me twice. I let sleep suck me down.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sorry its so short, I'm very busy (see above reply to Dancergirl). Who the hell said summer vacation was a vacation? Review please.


	14. Chapter 14

**Review Replies**

Lady Q: No, I'm not dropping this story, the last chapter part was a joke about my awful cliff hanger. My other story was just a little one shot thingy, I'm thinking about posting it at the end of this story too, just because it ties in.

Proud to be and X-Nerd: Ana can't kill, she's too innocent. I've always pictured her that way anyway. But I like the dark side of her too. Anyway, she's an X-Man and I still believe that the X-Men have a no-kill policy, though their morals have become slack over the years. I'm still a fan of the 90's cartoon, myself.

Vballmania: Sorry, didn't mean to rant about it all, but sometimes it makes things better in my head if I list things off, even if it is in a fanfic :D. And thanks for taking time out to review, I really appreciate it.

Balecka92: Spiritual realm is something that I kinda made up too. You'll understand it better in future chapters, hopefully. And they didn't get her out of her body, she was dead and having an out of body experience. They just held her over long enough to give her the message and then stick her back in there…oh, wait…this was from the previous chapter, so maybe I all ready said all this…sorry if I did, but I don't' wanna delete it now.

**Quote:**Roscoe: I got an A in Advanced Thermonuclear Physics. I can dissect proton particles.

Garfield: I know how to make toast.

-Roscoe and Garfield

**Chapter 14**

The light hurts my eyes so I quickly close them and moan my discomfort.

"Cougar?" a girl says softly next to me. "Are you awake?"

"No…" I grumble back. Slowly I peel my eyelids back. I'm in the med lab.

Ana calls over her shoulder, "She's awake."

"No, I'm not," I half-way joke, weakly. I reach up to rub at my eyes. My arms are stopped short by padded restraints. Looking down at them with a frown I look back up at Ana and Joseph. "Why the hell am I in restraints?" It would be SO much more threatening if my voice didn't sound like it belonged to an eighty year old chain smoker's.

"You were struggling in your sleep. We didn't want you to hurt yourself." Joseph explains

"Well get me outta them or I'll start hurting others."

Ana gets to work on that, dryly commenting, "Well at least we know she doesn't have amnesia…"

I try to sit up, then I try not to cry from the results.

"Jesus, Cougar," Dragon steps forward and pushes me back into the bed. "Just calm down until Professor McCoy gets here, OK?"

Ana makes the bed move up for me while I absently bat away his hands, "Beast is comin?"

"No, he's here. We sent for him as soon as we hauled you in here."

I look down at my self for the first time. An IV needle is stuck into my left hand. Ew. There's holes on the inside of my right elbow where, I assume, they put some blood back into e. A clip is on my left index finger, monitoring something. There are little suction cup things on my upper chest monitoring something else. Another device is wrapped around my upper right arms. See how much I know about the medical field? I have tubes in my nose. Didn't notice that right away.

I glance up at Ana, who's looking out the hall and Joseph, who's looking right back at me.

"Leave them alone." he orders me sternly.

"What?" I ask innocently. He just narrows his eyes at me.

Dr. McCoy walks into the room, making him turn his back on me. Immediately, I pull out the oxygen hose, rip off the chest thingy's (causing quite a fright for the machines) and manage to unwelcome the arm wrapper before Joseph yells at me and physically stop me.

The machines continue to beep distressfully.

"What? I'm alive. Get these friggin' tubes offa me."

Calmly, Beast walks over and flips off the machines, "It's all right, Joseph," he assures my evidently annoyed team leader. When he backs off, the furry man says to me, "How are we feeling this lovely after noon, Cougar?" Pulling out a light pen, he moves to check my pupils, or what ever.

Instinctively, I jerk my head away. "We?" I hold still the next time as he lifts one eyelid and blinds me, then the other. "I don't know about YOU, but I feel like hell."

He chuckles and holds the light up, "Understandable. Follow the light with your eyes only please." I do so with out comment. He flips through the screen o n the machine and writes something on his clip board.

I shift in the bed. "Am I good ta go?"

He clicks his pen noisily and puts it back into the white coat pocket, "Hardly."

Its all I can do to keep from rolling my eyes. Instead, I move my foot over so he can sit at the edge of the bed and give me a curious look.

"What, may I ask, is the last thing you remember?"

I think back. "Its all kinda fuzzy. Sabertooth. And him tryin' ta kill me."

"He did kill you," the man corrects.

"huh?"

"Your heart stopped as did your breathing. They performed CPR and revived you."

This is a bit awkward. "Oh," I say, lamely.

"Yes," he gives my knee a slight pat, "Which is why I recommend that you stay in bed and recover your strength."

"I'll take that into consideration," I reply flatly. "Take this thing outta me," I hold up the IV in my hand.

He gives me a stern look so I add a please and he reluctantly does so.

I unhook the rest of myself and ease up. Its not that bad, really. My stomach is bandaged up to my ribcage; there are bruises encircling my wrists and I think my lip is split. Gingerly, swing my legs over and get to my wobbly feet. There's a slight pain, but its not too bad. "Do I have stitches?"

"Yes," he moves around to help steady me, "Conner healed everything he could internally. It was quite a stress on him."

I grunt. I'll remember to thank him later. "Where'd Ana go?"

"I believe Ana and Joseph went to inform everyone of your recovery. You had your team quite frightened." He helps me take my first few steps.

"Worry warts," I mutter sarcastically, "A girl's pulse stops and they're all in a panic." I have a pile of clothes sitting at the edge of the bed. See, Ana knew that I wouldn't be staying here.

"Wolverine, I'm under the impression, was worried too."

My eyes roll, giving me a two-second headache, "Why would he be worried. Its not like he'd get in trouble if I croaked; he's not in charge of me anymore."

Thought his eyebrows are no longer discernable with all of the other hair covering him, I get the distinct impression that he raises them in surprise, "Now, Cougar, you don't think that you could have trained with him all of these years and NOT left a bond?"

Its my turn to frown, then shrug it off, "Never thought about it, or noticed. I puck out some old jeans. Girl knows my style…

Before he can remark, Amber rushes in and looks around the room smiling like an imp, "Where I she?"

"Don't hug me," I answer her cautiously, making her eyes snap in my direction.

"COUGAR!" She rushes forward and embraces me, despite my obvious flinch. She holds me at arms length and looks me over. "You stupid little feral, you went and got yourself KILLED! What were you thinking?! Mr. Logan told you not to be out alone--"

"Lisa was with me." I interrupt her because if I don't I'll never be able to speak again…

"Well," she waves it off, "What does Lisa know about fighting? You were supposed to be with an X-Man."

I sit back down on the bed and slip on my jeans. "Is she all right?" My bra goes on next, very slowly, under the gown.

My question puzzles her for a second, "Lisa? Yea, she's fine. Conner healed her right away, before he knew how bad you were.

I struggle out of the gown and try to put the baggy t-shirt on. Amber moves to help me and Beast coughs and turns his back. What? I got a bra on…its not like he can see anything. She starts to say something, but I ask over her, "Where's Creed?" My shirt on, I start to walk out of the MedLab, being followed.

"Some of the senior X-Men came and got him. Ana almost killed him, you know. I've never seen that side of her."

"Yea, I remember that part…" I'm starting to remember other parts too, buts its all kind of scrambled. We get to the elevator and I push the button.

"Of course, they had to leave Wolverine here because he WAS going to kill him."

The elevator seems to be taking longer than usual. "Are the students back or something?"

"Yea, they came back last night with the teachers. Right after the senior X-Men came and got all the prisoners and dropped off Dr. McCoy."

Beast interrupts her talk, "Please, Amber, don't call us 'seniors', it makes me feel old."

She laughs. I continue to scowl, just because it's easier on my guts.

The elevator dings and I shuffle in. I've only been awake for fifteen minutes, tops, and already I feel like taking a nap. Amber pushes a button for me before I can hit the bedroom floor. I guess I'm going to the offices…"Where we goin?" I ask in my usual perfect grammar.

"Joseph wants to fill you in."

"On what?"

She shrugs, "Everything? I'm not him." We reach the floor and get out. She follows me all the way to his door, like I'm going to bolt and run away. I grow suspicious.

She knocks just as I grab the handle to open the door. I swing it open just as Dragon answers, "Come in."

A HA! It's a MEETING! I KNEW IT! And what's worse, Cyclops and Emma are sitting across from Dragon and turning to look at me. I suppress a groan. "'Sup," I nod to them and look over to Dragon questioningly. Amber closes the door as she leaves me alone with them. Traitor…

"Cougar," Miss Frost addresses me with an arched brow at my wardrobe.

"How are you feeling?" Mr. Summers asks.

"Peachy," I reply off handedly as I shoot more questioning looks towards Joseph.

"Go sit down," he nods toward the couch off to the side. I'm to be present, but not speak, is what he's trying to say. "You look tired."

I keep my eyes on him, but sit just because I am tired.

"So," he starts, "All of the Pack members have been moved to the New York school, along with Sabertooth. Our students have been returned and we'll start classes again tomorrow. I you need more time, feel free to take it off. We've got quite a few that can sub for you. Ms. Frost and Mr. Summers are here to help us clean up and offer counseling for the students--" I snort at this (can't help it) and he asks, "What?"

Smirking I answer, "We never got 'crisis counseling' and we prolly went through a lot worse."

"You were conditioning to be future X-Men, Cougar. These kids aren't," Cyclops explains.

"I'm offering my services to you and your teammates, also," the White Queen says to me.

I make a face, "What do I need yer services for?" Its rude, yes, but I don't feel the need to be polite at this particular time.

She ignores the rudeness, "You went through a traumatic experience. Your mind may not have recovered as well as your body."

"Yea, you just keep outta my mind and it'll be fine," I snap unnecessarily.

"No need to become offended," she continues in her usual tones. "I don't go into minds where I'm not welcomed."

I bite back my remark. Its not like she could get in there anyway, unless I DID let her in. Aside from being physically hard to lock on , my mind has a 'static-like' feel (according to Xavier) and only powerful psychics could get a good lock on me. The Professor worked with me personally to help me build up near impenetrable psi-shields. Even he had to struggle with Cerebro to get through and it gave us both migraines for two days. I'm immune to telepaths now. Cool, huh?

Joseph interrupts by coughing and says, "Back to the clean up…"

I sit back and let him start dribbling about the estimated costs, the parents concerns, the lack of mutant friendly contractors. My mind wanders, naturally.

Joseph's so stuffy now. Like I said, we've all grown up under the yolk of the X-Man emblem.

I always thought it was odd. We were the only group of kids trained to be X-Men. Sure, its still an option, but they don't do the teams anymore and the few that stick with the program usually stay in New York, they're rarely sent to one of us sub-teams. We've had one or two join up but they never fit, or they quit when its not all glory and guns blazing. I've always wondered why they just quit the program.

Joseph starts to get interesting again, so I start to pay attention again.

"…at that hospital. We pulled nine mutants. You were right, they didn't put up much of a fuss over us coming. We sent them to New York too, for evaluations." I grunt and nod, though I don't think he expected any comment.

"Aside from counseling the students," Cyclops adds to the couch, I'm not sure if he can see me because I can't tell if he's looking at me, "Emma's offering to help with your sister, Cougar."

I grunt again. Its not like I forgot about my sister current predicament, I've just been preoccupied with staying alive, myself. Maybe she can help.

"I'll be working with her this weekend if you'd like to join me."

"Nope," I answer quickly.

"This Rebecca girl that she thinks she is, is very interesting. I spoke to her very briefly earlier today."

I shrug, which hurts. She said 'thinks'. She doesn't believe that Laura's possessed. What ever. I think the pain medication is wearing off. "Is there anything else?" I ask Dragon before Emma can say whatever it was that she opened her mouth to say.

"Are you feeling OK?" he asks with genuine concern.

"No," I struggle stiffly to my feet. He gets to his and makes a move to ward me. I wave off his help, "I'll be all right, I just need ta rest."

He moves to the other side of the desk. "Do you want me to get some one to walk you down to the MedLab?"

Yea. Like I'm going back there…"No," I tell him, "I can make it. Keep goin' on with yer meetin' like I'm here."

The others stand to as I leave. Politeness hasn't died? Before I close the door, I hear Emma offer her services once more. Like I want to spend more than three seconds with that woman alone.

I go to my own room and carefully shuck off my jeans and bra. Everything is starting to stiffen up and my stomach is hurting more and more. Slowly I crawl into bed and curl up under the covers.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

All right, short, yes, but it was a good break up spot for what I've got written so far. What do all 'o ya think about my Emma portrayal? Can you tell that I dislike the woman deeply? R&R. Thanks!


	15. Chapter 15

**Review Replies:**

Lady Q: Wow. Well, I've never gotten a review like that before. I'm glad I could have that kind of effect with my writing.

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Yea, Emma's annoying, though I have noticed that she's mellowed out some and I think that's what ppl are starting to like about her.

As for a favorite episode….I love the one where Gambit goes back to New Orleans to deal wit h the External. I'm not sure why, I guess I always just loved their accents, and it didn't really have any Cyclops in it. I also remember one where there was an alien thing in the sewers and Wolverine and Gambit teamed up with Lady Mariko to kill it. Good memories right there.

Vballmania23: I haven't read much with Emma either, but what the heck, its my fic, I can make her an awful as I like, right?"

Dryad Mage: Glad you're still there. I'm here too, just super duper busy. Oh, and don't poke me or you'll lose the finger. :D

**TO ALL:** I'm a bit busy cuz school started up again, but I'm actually almost done with writing the fic (couple more chapters, I think). I've also been contacted by an MSE Fan Fic Comic book starting company thingy. If you've heard of them, give me a hollar, but I've agreed to write some stuff for them (not that I get paid for it, but what the heck?), so I'm working on that too. Just to let you all know that if there seems to be extra long breaks in between chapters, I didn't disappear, k? K. So R&R.

**Quote:** I'm not short. I'm fun sized! --my hero, Mindy T.

_**Chapter 15**_

I have a bad dream.

_Its got Sabertooth and blood and guts in it and I'm trying to run, but I keep sinking in the ground and the trees are screaming at me to run because he's almost got me and they're spitting blood at me and a little girl pushes me to the ground and says in a rather snobbish tone that I'm not doing what I'm supposed to and if I'm just going to lollygag around I might as well be dead._

I open my eyes in the dark of my room. A little girl is at the side of my bed and I shriek like a girl and tumble away . I'm tangled in the blankets and fall down to the floor with an excruciating thump. I try not to scream again when the pain erupts through my body from my middle out. Instead, I curl into a ball and moan, ignoring who ever opens my door and starts in.

"Cougar?" Wolverine, I think. I don't really care at this point.

I try to grunt at him, but only gasp and pant, waiting for the aches to subside.

"Shit," he growls when he comes to the other side of the bed and sees me. "I'll get Hank."

"No," I manage and crawl maybe two inches before curling up again. Waving vaguely at him I pant, "'m fine…jus' need a minute…"

He drops down beside me and asks in his gruff voice, "Can ya sit up?"

I nod with my face against the floor but don't make an attempt to prove it.

"Come on, kid." He loops one arm across the front of my shoulders and places the other hand on my lower back, slowly pulling me up and backwards.

A whimper escapes my lips and my claws find the skin of his arm, trying to stop it. "That hurts," I almost whine, much to my dismay. Well, I'm in pain, I can't be all macho all of the time.

"I know, but you'll feel better sittin' up."

It still hurts, but he's right, it's a little better. I gather my senses about me again. "What time is it?" I notice that he's dressed for bed

"Three in the morning."

"The witching hour," I say to myself, thinking about the little girl.

"What?"

I give my head the slightest shake, "Nothing. What're you doin' runnin' around at three in the morning?"

"I could hear ya from my room. You were havin' a bad dream." He's quiet for a second, "Never heard ya scream like that, kid."

Using the heels of my hands to rub at my tired eyes, I answer without thinking, "There was a ghost in here."

"A ghost, huh?" he starts to help me to my bed.

"Don't patronize me," I snap, pushing his hands away and using my bed post to get my feet under me.

He laughs--as much as he ever does--and helps me again. "Don't get yer panties in a knot, I'm just meanin' that ya had a bad dream is all 'n ya probably weren't completely awake when ya think ya saw it." He sits me on the bed.

"No. She was in my dream, but she was here when I woke up too. And I saw her before." I frown. When did I see her before? Vague memories filter through my brain.

Wolverine reaches over to my night stand. There's a bottle of prescription pills that Conner or Beast must have left while I was asleep. He reads the label and gives them a little shake. "Been takin' these?"

"I don't need pills," I snap at him, irritated that he's breaking my train of thought.

"I think ya better take a couple and get back ta bed, kid. It's cold in here, ya got a window open or something?" He starts checking my windows, irritating me more. He's acting weird.

Something catches my eye on the bed next to me. When I turn to look, a clearly transparent girl is glaring at me. I gasp and jump to my feet.

"What--" Logan turns and freezes, "--the hell is that?"

The girl jumps at me and I yelp, "Logan!" just as his claws snickt out.

I sit on the floor hard as the ghost passes through me covering me with goose bumps. Stars dance in front of me, then Wolverine's face. I growl at the room "You little brat…" to the man I order, "Help me up, I remember now."

"What was that?" He helps me up but pushes me back onto the bed

"The ghost, stupid," I push him away and get to my feet with a little more energy this time. "I remember now, I gotta go get Frost."

He follows me to the door and jerks me back when it swings open on its own accord and bangs against the wall.

"All right, I said I remember," I yell to the invisible ghost. Turning to Wolverine I ask, "Which room are they in? Emma and Cyclops?"

He points down the hall but catches my arm above the elbow when he realizes I'm going to it. "It's three in the morning, kid."

The bedroom door slams shut behind us. Joseph pops out of his own room, "What's going on?"

"No, we gotta do it now before she fades away."

"Do what?" Logan asks, not letting me go.

"Who's what?" Joseph asks, still groggy from sleep.

"Let go," I try to pull free but I'm still weak from the attack. "She's gotta find her before Laura's completely gone. That's what the ghost said." I realize now that I'm kind of sounding like a crazy person.

Dragon comes and stands on my other side, "You can talk to them too?"

"No, the ghost told me when I was dead…" Not helping my sanity plea… I turn to scowl at the other X-Man and demand, "Let me go."

He does, but follows at my heals like I'm a naughty puppy about to take off with his shoes. I bang on the guest bed room door, though all of the ruckus should have woken every one up by now. Joseph pulls his robe closed, "Is it cold in here?"

I'm just starting to knock again as a ruffled looking Emma yanks open the door to glare at me. Behind her, Cyclops sits up in the bed and slips on his red quarts glasses to see who I am.

"Mornin'" I greet, knowing it'll annoy her. "I need yer powers ta get Laura back, pronto."

The woman blinks slowly at me. "Cougar. I was up half of the night trying to figure out what is wrong with your sister. She has recent memories, but the rest are concealed from me. Its my personal opinion that whatever trauma she endured at the hospital caused psychic trauma as well. She wholly believes that she is this Rebecca girl."

"That's because she IS Rebecca," I try to explain. "Look, yer supposed ta go deeper than the astral plane and into the spiritual plane. But you have to do it now cuz her spirit's fading more and more the longer its away from her body."

Her icy eyes stare into mine, "I don't believe such a place exists…"

"Well who gives a crap if you believe it does or doesn't. That's where she is and that's where you gotta go ta find her. Preferably now," I add.

She sighs, looks back at Mr. Summers, who shrugs, the relents, "I'll dress and meet you down there."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Wolverine and Dragon follow me downstairs. Moments later, Frost shows up with Cyclops. HA. She had on more clothes BEFORE. I don't say this out loud, however. See how polite I am?

We all enter the room together. Rebecca is staring at the ceiling. "It's too late. I don't care what that brat Aggie told you. She's gone." My sister's eyes turn to me, "Dead and gone."

I narrow my own eyes at her, "Quiet you."

Emma takes up a chair at the head of the bed and sits with her hands on either side of Rebecca's temples. The girl rolls her eyes and asks sarcastically, "Oh, not this nonsense again."

Its amazing how badly I want to hit her, but at the same time I'm terrified to touch her. Everyone's quiet for a long time. I check the clock above the door. 3:45...4:00...4:37.

Rebecca breaks the silence, struggling to get the words out, "You honestly think…a psychic...can save her?"

Everyone but Emma turns to look at me. I leave the room, happy that we'd left the door open. Its hard to make a quick exit when you're waiting for the hand scanner to verify you.

My wobbly tired legs make it a few yards down the hall before they give out. I lean my back against the wall and slide to the floor. My hands are shaking, whether from fatigue or frustration, I couldn't tell you. I bury my face in them and focus on breathing to keep from crying. Some super hero I turn out to be. I run like a sissy from the bad guys, get my guts ripped out, lose my best friend to the Feds, and I can't even save my own sister.

Wolverine takes up the seat beside me. "Ya doin' all right, kid?"

"No." I answer into my palms.

"Why don't ya go back ta bed. We can send some one for ya if Frost gets anything."

"Its not that." I look up, annoyed now, "I'm fine and I wish all of ya would just quit tryin' ta coddle me. I'll be fine and I don't need anyone's sympathy, especially yers."

"What the hell does that mean?" he growls back.

I think about yelling some more. Man would it feel good…but I sigh instead, "Never mind. Just forget it."

"Look, kid, we're just worried, that's all," he says a little more gentle this time.

"But I'm fine now."

"But ya died. Its not easy fer a team when one of their members dies, even if its only for a couple minutes."

I raise my head to look at him, "We talkin' bout me or Jean?"

He actually turns away from my stare, "Both. With her just dyin' it would make it that much harder ta lose someone else."

"Beast said I shook up the team." I think about it for a second then add, "And you."

"Yea," he says with a scowl, "I guess ya grew on me."

"Aw," I say with a grin, "Wolvie likes me…"

He turns his scowl onto my smirking face, "Yea and if ya ever pull that dying crap again I'll kick yer ass."

"Yes, sir," My eyes roll at his threat though. "Oh, yea, and FYI, ya might wanna give up smoking. Yer mouth tastes like an ash tray."

"Smart ass."

Shrugging, I turn back to serious matters. "I don't get it, Logan. I mean, its not like I remember what happened, specifically, I can just kinda remember a little girl and watching what was happening below and she said to tell the telepath to go into the spirit realm. It should work." I frown, thinking.

"Can't ya just ask the little girl?"

"I don't talk to ghosts…" an idea hits me. "Unless…" I struggle to get up, remembering my injuries.

"What?" Wolverine stands and helps me.

"Ouija," I answer," I got a board in my room." Heading down the hall, I don't wait for him Why do I have a Ouija board? I grew up in a high spiritual energy house. Duh.

Wolverine follows me all the way up to my closet. Without thinking, I reach up to the shelf to feel around for it. The wounds in my stomach flare up and I quickly grab them and bend back over, "God that hurts…" I groan through my teeth.

"Where is it?" Logan reaches up and feels around. His hands find it before I answer. He pulls down a heavily stained board with letters burned into it. The Ouija board that Wolf and I had made, once upon a time. I scoop it up with a, "Thanks," and head back to the holding cell. Lets see what the spirits have to say, shall we?

I stride into the room, though no one notices, and slowly let myself to the floor. I put the board and plancetta in front of me. Wolverine stands behind me and everyone else notices him, then me. Before my fingers touch the pointer, the pancetta begins to move on its own accord. Joseph steps back in surprise and though I'm not looking at Cyclops, I just know that his eye brows shoot up.

'M A M A Z' it spells out.

"What does that mean?" Dragon asks, still sounding a little shocked.

"it's the name of my spirit guide," I explain off handedly. "She's usually the one who talks to me." A little louder I ask the room, "Is Laura here?"

The plancetta over to the 'YES' corner.

"Can she talk?"

It moves to the center, wobbles slightly, then shoots over to the 'NO'.

I frown. "Well can you tell me how we're supposed to save her?"

'G O W I T H M I N D'

"What?" I ask, confused. Mamaz is always so vague…

'N O F E A R' It spells next, 'S I S T E R S'

Joseph asks me, "I don't get it, do you?"

"Not really," I don't take my eyes off the board as it spells again.

'N O F E A R'

My claws tap my chin lightly in thought.

"Gotta be honest with ya kid," Wolverine says from behind me, "This is some pretty crazy shit."

"I think…" I ignore his comment and hypothesize, "That I'm not supposed to be afraid of Rebecca and maybe help Frost through her mind?"

The board remains still.

I grunt and try to get up, taking Cyclops' offered hand with my left one and holding my guts in with my right. Slowly I move toward the be, my hackles rising as I near.

Rebecca looks at me, smiles grotesquely, and closes her eyes again.

A shudder runs through my body. I can do this. It shouldn't be hard at all, just go over and grab her hand. I'm a friggin' super hero, for cryin' out loud. Annoyed at my own fear, I growl, march up to the thing, and grab hold of her hand.

My knees buckle and I use my other claws to hold onto the bed.

"Get her a chair," Mr. Summers orders.

I can see Joseph hurry out the door, but he looks weird. The room looks like its superimposed over another view. Blinking rapidly, I try to clear the images without success. But when I close my eyes, I can see the other world quite vividly. I close my eyes then, just as Dragon brings in a chair. I can barely feel someone pushing me down into it.

Emma's there, looking quite surprised, "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I don't think we're on Earth anymore," I reply dryly, surveying the mental terrain. "Where are we?"

"Your sister's mind, I'm afraid. Or Rebecca's. You don't recognize this place?"

"No," I watch a lizard scuttle over some rocks, "Should I?"

Frost sighs, "It feels as if this is home, in the memories."

"North Dakota might be plain, but its not this bad. This must be Rebecca's home."

"Indeed." A woman with blonde hair and brown eyes comes out of no where. She's wearing an old fashioned cotton dress and frowning. "What the blazes do you two think you're doing here?"

I turn a questioning look to Frost who raises an eyebrow at me. "I've only just arrived here myself. I was unable to penetrate this deeply before."

"Answer my question," the young woman demands angrily. "You weren't invited here. You can't be here."

My eyes narrow, "Rebecca, I presume."

She glares back.

"All right, Frost," I ignore the look, having gotten worse from my own students before, "We're supposed to go even deeper until we get to the spiritual realm."

Emma gives me an annoyed look, too then says, "Lead the way then."

Rebecca interjects, "You can't get to the spirit realm. Only the dead can go there. It's exactly where your sister belongs."

"Bug off," I growl at her. To Emma I growl again, "I don't know my way around people's heads. That's yer specialty."

The other woman catches my attention by smirking. "Well, perhaps I should just leave you two alone out here," she gestures around us at the desert. "Many a man has lost their minds wandering the south west. Many brought their wives and children down with them," she spits this last part out bitterly.

"What?" I ask, but in a blink she's gone. I turn to Ms. Frost, "Well, now what?"

"I haven't the faintest idea; nor do I know how I can get out of this mind and back into my own, let alone how you will do so." She stands, perfectly manicured hands on shapely hips and stares coldly down at me.

I shrug. "Lets go west then," I nod to my left.

"West?" She actually looks puzzled.

"Yea," I start to walk without waiting for her. "I got t his song in my head, 'Well I woke up this morning/ And saw the rising sun/ Moving westward/ To places I don't know' " I look back at her following me, "I sang that song in the fifth grade and probably haven't heard it since. West must be the way to go."

She blinks at me, "Your line of reasoning completely baffles me.

"I laugh, "Yea. Me too." Really, it does, but the one thing I got out of both Sabertooth and Wolverine's lessons was to always follow your instincts. So that's what I'm gonna do.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

One good thing about the psychic plane, you can't feel any of your physical injuries. Its a very important thing if you're tramping about the desert for hours. At least I think its been hours. Listening to Frost complain and snuff at everything, it sure has FELT like hours.

"Well," Emma starts again, "This is all quite the adventure, but how far west are we supposed to go, exactly?"

I don't answer her right away. There's a flash of movement to my left. I turn in time to see a bushy tail dart down into a large opening in the cliff face. "Fox." Wait for my brilliant idea... "Laura liked foxes...We must have to follow it."

My travel companion turns to look at me like I'm retarded, "Excuse me? You mean to tell me that you want to crawl down a hole?"

I roll my eyes. "Psych 101, Frost. Nothing is what it seems in a troubled mind. Fox knows the way."

"Or its a trap," she counters.

"We're already trapped," I remind her flatly and move toward the hole. I can only see for maybe five feet and then only darkness. I honestly am not too sure about any of this, but if I act confident enough, maybe Emma will shut up for awhile.

Right. We're in the dark for two seconds when she starts in her usual tones, "Exactly how do you expect ME to see in here?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I can't see either," I reply pleasantly, trailing my fingers along a cool rock wall and carefully placing my bare feet on solid surfaces.

"Hardly," she sniffs.

"God, Frost, remove the stick all...ready..." My words trail off as we come into a huge sunlit cavern. The fox I'd spotted earlier stands in the center, staring at me with its rusty eyes. "Now what, Fox?" I ask the creature. It cocks its head to the side. Suddenly, it pounces at the floor, as if aiming for some rodent below the surface. But it keeps going and the earth swallows it up. I blink, surprised. "Oh."

"This is ridiculous," Emma sighs, "Following tunes in your head, animals down holes." She turns her cold blue eyes on me, "What do you propose now?"

I shrug, knowing it will annoy her further, and move to the middle of hte room. It feels cold, the first thing I've felt since I came here. I stomp on it; solid as the rock it looks like.

A whisper winds out of the shadow, "_Who's knocking..."_

Frost and I whirl around, looking for the source, "Who's there?" She demands.

Another voice slithers out, _"How rude to know on the door of the dead..."_

_"Perhaps they wish to be dead?"_ A third voice answers.

"No...that's all right," I reply, circling the room warily. Instincts are saying "RUN YOU IDIOT!" incase you were wondering.

"Show yourself," Ms. Frost commands, crossing her arms. Wow, she's really got this school head mistress thing down pat...

_"The living,"_ a voice says louder than the others, _"do not command the dead...But if you insist?"_ My hackles raise.

A transparent, half rotted corpse emerges from the shadows, followed by a dozen more. They're suddenly surrounding us. A growl emanates from my chest and I stand back to back with Frost, who's still keeping up her bravado.

"Good job," I mutter to her. To the dead-friggin'-creepy-buggers closing in on us I ask, "How do we enter the spirit realm? I need to find someone there."

_"Only the dead may enter."_ One woman moans, "_Your loved one is dead and gone if she is beyond the Door_."

"But she isn't," I insist.

Another ghost whispers loudly,_ "You have trespassed into our parlor."_

_"You will join your loved one,"_ The first that showed himself adds, _"Punishment is death."_

They begin to hover around us, darting among each other and lunging toward us. A crooked old woman with one eye missing leers toothlessly at Emma, "_You've tasted death...BATHED in it..."_ Emma's hand swings out to slap the hag, but her palm moves right through her. She cries out in surprise and curls her fingers in, bringing the hand close to her chest. Her eyes are wide.

To me she commands, "Don't touch them."

"No shit Sherlock," I answer, involuntarily flinching when one gets too close.

"I don't have my powers here," she sounds worried.

A little boy with a hole in his chest and half of his forehead missing comes inches from my face. I scuttle back into Emma."_She's been close..."_ he says, eyes wild and unfit for a child's face. _"Almost to our Door."_

He dives suddenly through me and Emma both and we gasp together. The pain tears through my insides and leaves my bones aching. Before I catch my breath, another comes through my back. I start to cough, collapsing to the floor. Frost screams. Another ghost makes my vision narrows. This is not good...

The room fills with a bright light and the ghosts retreat slightly.

A familiar voice rings out. _"They are under my protection. I am their guide through the Spirit World."_

The old woman growls _"They are the living--"_

_"I am their guide,"_ the source of the light answers. The brightness intensifies as they repeat,

_"They are under MY protection."_

Reluctantly the spirits shrink away and vanish again.

Blinking my vision clear, I look up to our savior in shock. My voice comes out as a whisper, "Jean?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cool, huh? Oh, also, if there seems to be weird typos with the letter 'm', its cuz my key board is messing up and sometimes the 'm' button sticks. R&R


	16. Chapter 16

**Review Replies:**

Wolfy: Yea, I should be studying right now…

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Well, the ghost thing kinda fell into place on its own. I just go with what the voices tell me to. And I don't really like the New X-Men time line either, its just the last thing that I read. I absolutely hated the House of M crap and now I think everythings all messed up, plus the Civil War thing that went on. I'm so far behind it all. But such is life.

Haha, I looked up X-Men Animated Series on last night and watched like three episodes. Fun times. I also watched a preview for the cartoon Wolverine and the X-Men, which seem OK and for the cartoon Wolverine vs. the Hulk. AND a pirated preview for the X-Men Origins: Wolverine movie. That's gonna be awesome!

Vballmania: Thanks!

**Quote:** Wolverine has just found out the government is releasing Omega Red Who do those spy catchers think they're dealin' with? Winnie the Pooh?

--Animated Series

**Chapter: 16**

"Jean?" I ask again, getting up off my knees and moving closer to her. "Professor Grey?"

The redheaded woman smiles softly at me. "Yes. I was a teacher once, wasn't I?"

"Yea, at Xavier's Institute." I look closely at her. She doesn't look like the others, half rotted away and crazy. She looks like she always did, though a little more confused, almost whimsical. "Do you remember me?"

Now its her turn to stare. After a moment she answers, "Yes. You were one of my students. Cougar. You were hard to find."

I nod, "Yea, that's why they put me on Wolverine's team."

Her brow creases for a split second, "Logan. How is he? And Hank and Charles…and Scott?"

I can't help but glance back at Emma. She's standing with her arms across her chest and her usual stuck up expression. "They're fine," I turn back to my old teacher. "They're all fine," softer I add, "They miss you." Its mean to think, but I'm not sure if Cyclops does or not. Rumor has it that he was shacking up with Emma before his wife's most recent death. Rumor also has it that Jean found out.

She smiles sadly and I wonder if she remembers. A little briskly she says, "I'm here to guide you through the land of the dead and to your sister. I'll help you bring her back again."

"Thank you," I answer lamely, though nonetheless sincerely.

The earth begins to shake slightly and with little effort spits open to reveal steps that lead down. Without hesitance, Professor Grey strides down the stairs. I follow silently, looking back only to see if Frost is following or not. Yup. And boy, she don't look too happy about it.

The stone stairs lead down and down and down. I'm not really looking forward to climbing back up them.

"You mustn't speak to anyone," Jean explains to me, breaking the long silence. "Don't look into their eyes if you can help it."

Frost asks snidely behind me, "Who exactly are we going to encounter on these stairs?"

I look back to scowl at her, then turn back to see that Jean's gone and the steps suddenly dissolve into tall green grass with rolling hills that stretch for miles. "Jean?" I call out into the wind.

Emma sniffs, "Well it seems that Jean didn't feel the need to continue leading us on this little adventure. How helpful."

I ignore her, "Professor Grey?"

"Is this your home then?" Frost asks while surveying the surrounding nothingness.

"North Dakota's in a drought, Frost; has been for years." I scuff the plush grass with my bare feet and turn my eyes back to the horizon, "Don't you keep up with the news?"

"Not with the agricultural portions and certainly not from that region of the country" she huffs.

"Yea, well ya oughtta. They're starting ta blame mutants for it." I look up at her, feeling annoyed with her disregard for my home state. "For someone claiming ta be a teacher, ya certainly don't try ta keep updated, do ya?"

She narrows her eyes at me, "And for someone _trying _to be an X-Man, you certainly have a lack of common sense when it comes to addressing your superiors."

"Yer not my superior, Frost, and keep in mind that I don't owe you any loyalties. Just cuz yer screwin' an X-Man, don't make you one."

The palm of her hand flies toward my face, but I easily block it and ask coolly, "Struck a nerve did I?"

She leans down toward me, "Now listlen you little cad--"

"Them's fightin' words, Frost," I tell her calmly. With more anger I growl, "This aint exactly the time or place ta defend yer sleazy reputation."

She opens her mouth to say something but Jean appears from nowhere and interrupts, "Its this place."

"What?" the blonde and I both snap.

"This place. It feeds on your emotions and brings them out into the open. If you're dead, it can be very dangerous. Its how some get out. Their sadness, fear, hurt or anger empowers them to enter the world of the living. You call them ghosts." She looks at me, "I found your sister, but we must hurry, I sense that her time to reenter the physical world is running out." Without a glance toward Emma, she starts to stride away. Of course, I follow, but with a nasty look back at the other woman

We walk up and back down a small hill before the first dead person crosses our path, aside from Jean of course. It's a man, dressed in clothes from the early 1900's. He looks us ove rand asks kindly, "Do you have the time?"

We all ignore him, but he doesn't seem to notice our rudeness. Instead, he turns to another ghost that's appeared, "Do you have the time?"

"My hands are cold," the old woman mutters back. She spots our trio and holds a wrinkled hand out, "Feel them, they're like ice."

"Do you have the time?" the first man asks again.

We continue to walk.

A young woman dances around us, all but naked, singing and half chanting, "Look into Tabitha's eyes, pretty breathers. Look and speak to her. You'll talk forever…"

"Do you have the time?" We're being followed.

"My hands are so cold, like ice. Just hold them for a moment…"

"Pretty breathers, come, follow Tabitha. She'll lead you to where you want to be."

Abruptly, a large cottonwood tree breaks the repetitiveness of the hills. It passes through the seasons before our eyes. Buds, green leaves, brilliant yellow, dusty brown, then it shakes itself slightly and sends the dried leaves to the ground below it. It stands bare for a second before greening up again.

I watch, mesmerized, then finally realize that we've stopped walking. Mainly because Laura's sitting at the base of the tree and reading a book. She looks up surprised. "Calla? Where did you come from?"

"The land of the living, apparently. Come one, we gotta go."

"We can't go. I don't know the way," she answers me plainly, but stands up anyway.

"Well she does," I jerk my thumb towards Jean, then look back at her. She's staring a the tree.

"Where did this come from?"

Laura answers, "I don't know, it just started to come up when I decided to stay here. it's the only tree around, I know."

"This may be the portal. The symbolism makes sense, the Tree of Life."

"I thought you knew the way out of this obnoxious place," Frost accuses.

I think for the first time, Jean glances at the other woman, but so briefly that I can't read her face. I ignore her and ask my sister, "You mean you've been sitting at the portal all this time?"

"Well how should I know?" she asks, annoyed with me. Sisters, through and through…"Its not like it opens up or anything."

Jean studies the tree intently but explains, "There isn't supposed to be any living people here, so it can't open for living people. It can only be opened by the dead." She says to me, "When you come out, you should be back in your sister's mind. Rebecca will have to be removed, still, but it shouldn't be a struggle for any telepath." Is that a jab at Emma?

With one long finger, she lightly traces a line down the tree's trunk. It glows orange where she touched it and splits open like a fairy archway. She steps aside and tells me softly, "Take care."

Laura looks to me, confused, "Isn't she coming too?" Her face studies my old teacher more closely, "She doesn't feel dead…"

"Just get goin'" I give her a light push into the tree and she disappears from my sight. I motion for Frost to go next. She does so with her nose in the air and without a word to Jean. I, myself, stop just before entering, "…Are you dead?"

She looks out at the dead people who've gathered to see us off. After a couple seconds, I realize she's not going to answer my question. "Bye Professor."

I step through the split bark and come out into blackness. I complete a circle consisting of me, Emma, Laura and Rebecca, who's staring at me with angry disbelief.

"How is this even possible?" she screeches at me.

Laura sounds annoyed, "Hello Rebecca. Having a nice time?" She crosses her arms over her chest and continues, "You didn't think I was completely cut off from the spirits, did you? I've had ghosts, spirit guides, and totems helping me."

The spirit looks adamant, "This is ridiculous, even with their help you should have never--"

"Don't underestimate the power of sisters." She glances to Emma, "You're the telepath, right?"

"Yes. I'm Ms. Frost. I understand you're in need of removing a certain obtrusive mind from your own?"

"That's correct," she barely says before Rebecca's gone in a flash. "Oh, and Calla too--"

Suddenly I'm back in my body and the change of it all makes me dizzy enough to almost fall off the chair.

"Careful," Cyclops cautions me. "Are you all right?"

I breathe sharply as my physical pain comes back to me, "Yea…" I look around the room, then over to Frost who's looking at me. We don't say anything. Looking down at Laura, I see her staring blankly at the ceiling. "What's wrong with her now?" I poke her, expecting a response and not getting one.

"She's in a coma," Emma explains calmly.

"Well get her outta it," I snap back. When my family calls me to rescue my sister, they don't exactly mean for me to make her comatose.

"She'll be fine. Her mind just needs time to readjust to her body. She'll come out of it on her own."

I stare at her. She stares evenly back. "Thank you." I' sincere, but its clear that I'll only say it once. Jean found Laura for me, but I'd never have gotten to Jean without Emma's help.

Using my sister's bed for support, I stand slowly. I'm not tired anymore. Pointing to the Ouija board on the floor I ask Joseph, "Could you drop that off in my room?"

"Where are you going?" he inquires.

"To the roof," I reply, "I need some air.

He almost argues with me, but nods and insists, "Don't over do yourself."

Aw…See? All I had to do was die for a bit and now he's Mr. Nice Guy. I head out towards the roof, my sanctuary that's not too far from my bed.

I take the elevator as high as I can, then climb only one flight of stairs. It still almost kills me. When I reach the roof, I'm surprised to find Wolverine already up there. I hadn't noticed that he wasn't in the holding cell.

He glances over when I join him at the railing, "Hey kid, everything turn out?"

"For the most part. She's in a coma now, but Frost says she'll come outta it on her own." The sky's starting to lighten up and the starts are disappearing in the east. It won't be a spectacular sunrise, but the city's pollution does add some nice hues. I take a deep breath, pulling at the stitches in my stomach a little. "When you guys gonna head back?" There's my perfect English again.

He snorts, "When Frost's done evaluatin' the kids--" we both turn when the roof door swings open and a boy and girl with a blanket come through giggling and shushing each other.

Before Wolverine can say anything, I go into my 'mean adult' mode, "What the hell do you two think yer doin'?"

They both freeze and turn their deer in the headlight look on us. Apparently they weren't expecting company. To Logan I mutter, "They been drinkin'?"

He crosses his arms, "Smells like."

"And I bet their hormones are all ragin'."

"Smells like," he repeats.

A little louder I say, "And I bet they were comin' up here for a little hanky panky."

They both turn bright red. I turn to the boy, "George? Your Aunt Dani is gonna kill you…" I shake my head.

"Please don't tell her!" He begs me with his eyes. Stupid boy, like that'd work…He continues though, "She'll send me to a different school, and I like this one."

I roll my eyes, "Well in _that_ case.."

"Aw, come on, Ms. Cougar," he begs some more.

The girl says a little too loudly to him, "I though you said she was the cool teacher…"

To Logan I mutter, "Is she actually pullin' that after school special crap?" He laughs a little. I address the girl, recognizing her. "Shawna Bird, is that you?"

"Yes… Ma'am?" she replies quietly, not expecting to get into trouble or something.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't I just bust you for tryin' ta sneak out the other night?"

"Yes ma'am," she answers, looking down at her toes that are sticking out of some ridiculously high heels.

I narrow my eyes at the both of them, making them fidget and look away. "Lets get one thing straight, kiddies. This place aint just a vacation from your parents. This is a _school _with _rules_. We're not just tryin' ta give ya a buncha book knowledge, we're tryin' ta teach ya how ta survive in the REAL WORLD. And being mutants doesn't make ya exempt ta the rules in the real world. Under aged drinking and unprotected sex isn't one of the things we're teachin' ya here." I point to the door they'd just come through, "Now get ta bed and I'll deal with the both o' ya in the decent hours of the morning."

They turn around like scolded puppies.

Logan calls out," Leave the beer."

They wince at his voice. I still don't have that effect. Shawna scurries over to the picnic bench and leaves a six pack of beer that she'd been hiding under the blanket.

As soon as they leave, Logan strides over and takes a beer out.

"Now what do ya think yer doin'?" I ask, hands on hips and still in my disapproving voice.

"Hey, this is good beer," he replies with a slight grin, popping the top. "Still cold too. Ya want one?" He holds out a bottle for me.

"I don't drink," I answer, keeping my scowl.

"Still?"

He actually sounds surprised, which makes me laugh, much to my dismay, "Oh, ow…ow…" Gently I hold my stomach. "You did that on purpose."

"Damn straight. Ya need ta laugh every once in awhile, kid." He motions to the other side of the table, "Sit down for a bit."

I do, not realizing how had standing was becoming until I got to the bench. "And what makes ya think I don't laugh enough?"

"If yer an X-Man, ya probably don't."

"Ah," I hold up a finger, "But according to most, we're NOT X-Men, just a sub team."

"Yea, but yer also the best sub team that we've got."

"Yer just sayin' that cuz we were trained by you." I roll my eyes.

"No," he takes a long drink, "But I'll take credit for makin' ya the best."

He's serious. I study him before asking, "What makes ya say we're the best?"

"What do ya think all those evaluations are for? We don't compare sub teams to each other, we compare them with ourselves. Yer team's getting' up there in the scorings. Why do you think it was such a big deal that you 'n Dragon were buttin' heads so much? We didn't want it to effect the team."

"All right," I shift my position, trying to wrap my head around being the better team. We weren't a favorite at Xavier's; not trouble makers either, just not a favorite. "But the California team has like, eleven people. And the DC team's got nine. How come we're still the original five if we're so good? Why don't you add a few and make us even better?"

"You don't need more. Their teams do. The California team sucks, actually," he points a finger at me, "Didn't hear that from me."

Thinking about it, he's right. We're usually the team that others call for help. That's why California owed us. "Yea, well some times we could use some extra help."

"And you got the older X-Men. Ya think we drop in to help everyone? No. That's what you teams were made for, to spread out and you guys can all take care of each other." He finishes his beer and adds, "That is until you pissed in Joseph's Cheerios."

I make a face, "That's gross and I did no such thing."

"Well ya must've done something ta get him on yer case."

I narrow my eyes at him in mock annoyance, "Well maybe he pissed in my grape nuts first, huh? Ever consider that?" I wave my hand at him before he responds, "No, I'm sick of this conversation. Change the subject."

"All right." He takes another beer and pops it open. Without looking at me he says, "I could smell Jeanie in that room. You saw her didn't you."

I look down when he looks at me, answering the question without meaning to. "Yes," I say quietly anyway.

"Did ya tell anyone?"

I shake my head, "Wasn't gonna tell you either, but I don't like lying to ya."

"That's cuz ya can't," he corrects me.

"I don't like to either," I sigh. "And I don't know if she's coming back, so don't ask me that."

"Did Frost see her too?" he asks instead.

"Yea. That was comfortable."

"Cyke'll love hearin' that." he slams his beer can on the table a little too hard and I jump.

"He doesn't need to know. No one else needs to either," I try to catch his eye but he's avoiding it. I think.

"What's this?" he raises an eyebrow," the student givin' orders ta the teacher?"

I shrug," She's gone, let her go."

He almost laughs, "She's been gone a lot, girl. Don't mean she aint comin' back."

"Then let her rest in peace before she's made ta come back again."

"'Made to'?" He's meeting my gaze again.

"Well, I'm no expert, but the couple o' minutes I was dead wasn't bat at all. No pain or confusion or doubt. And the land of the dead wasn't too bad neither." I keep eye contact through it all. See how good I'm getting?"

"Yea? Well death aint peaceful for everyone."

I shrug and look away . This is getting too deep for either of us. My stomach wounds twinge and I remember Sabertooth. "What happened ta Creed?"

"He's in New York. When Frost gets back, she'll much up his mind--"

"Oh, yea, cuz that worked out great last time--"

He ignores me, "--then we're handin' him over ta SHIELD."

"What will they do with him?"

"Don't know. Don't care. If it was up ta me I'd just cut the bastards head off and be done with it."

I lay my own head down on my crossed arms on the table, "But that's against the X-Men's rules. No killing, especially for revenge."

"Not revenge, a precaution."

I don't raise my head, "No one else would see it that way."

He doesn't answer, just continues to drink the confiscated beer.

My eyes start to close and I doze for awhile. Wolverine wakes me up by smacking my arm, "Come on kid, ya gotta get some real rest. Yer probably freezing by now."

I groan as I sit back up. Boy my life hurts right now…"Its not that cold."

He helps me stands and leads me to the door, like I'd forgotten or something. I'm too tired to complain. We get all the way to my bedroom before I bother to shrug his hand off. "I'm tired, not blind. Did you bring the beer in?" I crawl into bed. Nice soft comfy bed… "What's left of it, I mean?" I hiss as I stretch out.

"I got it," he holds up the bottle of pills."

"I'm not taking those."

"They'll help ya stay asleep, kid." He takes two out and holds them toward me.

What a bugger, I take them and purposefully drop them to the floor. "If I stay asleep then I won't be able to wake up." It makes sense to me, what about you? I roll over to my side, ignoring the inevitable scowl.

"Yer choice, kid," he grumbles.

I wake up when he leaves, though I know that he's trying to close my door softly. I'd rigged it to make noise when its opened and shut; then I can hear when people come in. Paranoia Paranoia…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Boy, you're lucky I'm feeling unmotivated to study for my three tests this upcoming week. I was gonna cut this in HALF. R&R plz.


	17. Chapter 17

**Review Replies:**

Lady Q: hey, good to hear from you! I was wondering where you'd been. It's nice to hear that my writing's a breath of fresh air. Hehe, brain hazes are fun, aint they?

Redmage: WOOT!! New Reviewers get a Woot!! Cool, I love to hear that my writing (and characters) aren't the same as everyone else's (in good ways). I've had the same couple of fans throughout this storyline so I'm never quite sure if they're just telling me they like it so that I'll finish it. New fans always just kinda encourage me to keep it up. Did that make sense? Sorry, just excited for the NEW REVIEWER! WOOT!

Wolfy: I'm tryin' ta wrap it up!! Don't PUSH ME! 'Side's, I still gotta wrap up Laura bein' in a coma and Joseph being an a-hole.

Proud To Be An X-Nerd: You've started alotta reviews with "Oh. I Loved That." It's funny, but I was going through all of my old reviews in my email (cuz I'm a cyber pack rat) and I seem to recall you threatening me with a stapler…do you recall that? Hehe.

**Quote: **Where in the nursery rhyme does say that Humpty Dumpty is an egg? --Random thoughts

**Chapter 17**

I sit in a lawn chair, sipping some Pepsi and just relaxing in the front of the hotel. Even though the nights have been getting chilly, it's still hot in the day time. Really, it is. Go ask one of my detention students that are toiling in the yard. Hehe.

George, Shawna and Maria, along with a couple others who had misbehaved in California, are cleaning up the yard, replanting some shrubs and replacing patches of sod. I guess being in charge of their detentions wasn't that bad of an idea. Don't quote me on that…

The door opens and I look back over my shoulder to see Ana looking for me. "Right here," I let her know where I am. After all, I'm hard to see in this nice cool shade that I'm sitting in.

She smiles and sits on the ground next to me, "How are they doing?"

I tsk and shake my head, "Well, they seem ta think that it's too hot to work. I'm not hot. Are you hot?"

"Not at all," she replies with another smile. "Beast wanted to know how everything was going. He seemed to be a little worried that you'd be out here working too."

Without meaning to, I laugh, "What? And take away from this valuable learning experience for the kids?" Vaguely I wave at Shawna, who's lugging around a wheel barrow of dirt.

"He also says that you're due for a checkup." I stop smiling but she continues, "I'll watch these guys for you. How much longer are they out here?"

"Till it's done," I grumble, slowly getting up. "They're due for a water break in a bit, though."

"Got it," she takes my seat, "I'm pretty sure that he's already down in the med lab."

I grunt at her and meander through the Hotel. In the elevators, I can see my reflection in the doors. I still look like crap; pale, bruised face, split lip. The tears in my stomach don't hurt as much today though. Good news.

Since I'm in no hurry, I wander down the basement hall at my own pace, stopping in the conference room doorway when I notice that Joseph's in there, watching something on the TV.

The video quality is poor and the camera itself is alternating between shaky shots and blurs as the camera man tries to record while running. I can hear explosions and gunfire above the man's moans of 'Oh God…" After a second, I can pick out Cyclops and Magneto's voices, too.

The video zooms in on my old boss (looking younger than I remember) as the camera guy whispers, "That's him…Magneto…And the X-Men…"

"Shh, Shh," someone shushes him, "You getting this?"

My beeper buzzes, making both me and Joseph jump. He glances back at me but doesn't say anything.

Wolverine catches my attention as he accuses, "You figure, since you live above the world that puts you above its law as well?"

"Laws written FOR humans BY humans, Wolverine," Magneto counters, "as out of date as the race that created them. A new generation is being born, and with it must come a new world order. All my life, I have seen people slaughtered wholesale for no more reason that the deity they worshipped or the color of their skin--or the presence in their DNA of an extra, special gene.

"I cannot change the world, but I can--and will-- ensure that my race will never again suffer for its fear and prejudice. Henceforth, I declare Asteroid M a sovereign world. Home and haven to mutant-kind. If you are _Homo sapiens superior_, then you are automatically entitled to safe haven above and security below. Even you X-Men--even your mentor, my old friend, Charles Xavier-- are welcome here.

"But mark this and mark it well--Harm done against ANY mutant is harm done to ME. And I shall respond accordingly…" (_A/N: From X-Men Rubicon issue by Chris Claremont and Jim Lee that I picked up)_

The video cuts to a higher quality NBC news studio. A manicured blonde explains, "Breaking news from the island of Free Genosha as the small country is attacked, yet again, by mutants. You may remember Genosha's recent stand on mutant labor and--"

Joseph pauses it, "I think that that's actually where it started to get bad."

"What?"

He continues to stare at the screen while tapping his knee with the remote, "The whole mutant thing. Before that, we were feared and hated. We were all just trying to get by together. After that, we split. Some thinking mutants were scum, some that they were above humans. But before that, humans were the ones that made a big deal about mutants being different. After that, mutants did too."

I remember my beeper and check it. MedLab. "I like being different."

He sighs, "I don't." Turning to see if I'm still here, he looks back down at his hands. "Sometimes I don't think I wanna do this anymore."

Huh? "What do you mean?" I ask, totally confused now.

"Well, I mean, are we really helping mutant-human relationships? And if we are, aren't we hurting mutant-mutant relations in the process?"

"That was the question in our Hero Issues class, remember? We got the question at the beginning of the year and had to write a paper on it. Then we had to do it again at the end of the semester." Whoa… I'd forgotten about that till just now.

"Yea…Mr. Summers raved over yours," he can't help but roll his eyes. Old rivalries. He turns back to the TV and tapping his knee with the remote.

I shake my head. "I'm just good at B.' in papers. The second one was horrible and all I did was ask question of my own."

"Maybe that's why he wanted you to be team leader. You don't just regurgitate what they say. You think on your own."

My eyes narrow, "Is that what all this is about?"

The rhythm of the remote falters, "All what?"

Now, I'm not the best liar in the world either, but Come ON… "All the crap you've been giving me, the fighting and attitude, the crap missions and reports? Yer still mad cuz yer hero wanted someone else ta be team leader? What's it matter, everyone else voted for you."

"I don't hold grudges, Cougar. Not like you anyway. I got over that a long time ago. But I have been giving you a hard time lately."

"Yea?" I ask sarcastically.

"--But I just wanted to see how you'd react. How you'd cope if you were cut from the missions, or given extra assignments. I gave you a hard time and made it so that the older X-Men would do the same with all those reports. What really surprised me was that you still went on all the missions. You went to the crappy ones and the ones that you were supposed to be banned from."

"What're ya gettin' at here?" I growl. "Someone has ta do the crap missions. And you needed me on the others. So what?"

"That's my point. That's what I was trying to see," he explains without explaining anything.

"What, Joseph? What were you tryin' ta see?!" I demand, sick of this riddler crap.

"If you'd be a good replacement," he sighs, "I'm thinking about leaving."

"Leaving? What're ya talkin' about," I'm still snappy.

He sounds annoyed now, "Leaving the X-Men. Getting away from all the controversy and fighting."

I move suddenly to sit down in one of the chairs. He still has his back to me. "OK, one thing at a time. First, I'd be the worst team leader in the world. No one would notice me giving orders. I don't do the leadership thing. It aint me. Second, Amber's yer second in command. _She's_ yer replacement. Third, you can't _leave_ the X-Men, you _are_ an X-man. You can't change that. What would the students do without you?"

"Nice speech," he answers _me_ with sarcasm, "but this isn't about the X-Men, or the students. It's about me and I don't know if I can be an X-Man right now."

I try to suppress a growl. Where the hell does he get off with thinking that he can just give up and leave the team, or the school? Its not that I love the guy, but he has no right to carry our team this whole time then just dump us! Yes, I realize these are my instincts making me this mad, but I'm mad nonetheless. I'm no exception to the feral/abandonment issue.

I glare at the back of his head until he sighs and adds with a gesture to the TV, "Maybe Magneto was right. Maybe the only way to get away from all this is to completely separate mutants from humans."

My fist slams into the metal table, making him jump and look back at me for the first time in the conversation. I reply through gritted teeth, "Magneto was a frickin' _nutcase_ and a _coward._ Ya can't just runaway from the world and separate people like _cattle_. Ya can't just give up on the human race! The world's gonna learn that mutants **are** human. Neither 'race' is better than the other, and that'll never be learned if they're forced to segregate."

I can tell that he's angry by the way his eyebrows are almost touching each other. But he doesn't say anything other than, "You better go to your checkup. Beast flew out here to see you, after all." He turns back to the TV and plays the news reel again.

I get up stiffly with a growl and leave him there. Stupid Joseph.

My beeper goes off again, two doors from the MedLab. This ticks me off more, so I unclip it from my belt and leave it quietly in the doorway. Beast, I can see, is sitting at the desk and looking over X-Rays of my guts.

I head back up and towards the garage. If I'm removing myself from a situation, I go to the roof, but if I'm removing myself from my life, I go to my truck. I pass Wolverine, of all my luck, on the way out, but he doesn't seem to notice me. Good.

The garage/shop room is usually empty. We have a couple mechanic classes that Conner teaches and , thanks to them, my truck is always running on clean oil and lubed up properly. I assume anyway.

My truck is a 20 year old Chevy stick shift. The body's in good shape, but I have had to overhaul the engine and get a new exhaust system. Oh, and I wore out the clutch once. All in all its not too bad though. It's never locked and, old farm habits, I leave the keys in the ignition all the time. Lisa says its an accident waiting to happen, but I doubt it. Most kids don't know how to drive a manual, and how cool is a beat up old truck anyway?

Just as I hop into the seat, Wolverine appears in the door. "Hey, kid, Hank is lookin' for ya."

I close the door halfway through his sentence and hit the garage door opener. As it lumbers up, I put in the clutch and crank the key. Wolverine gets into the passenger seat. Maybe I should reconsider my locked door policy after all.

My radio jumps to life, blaring country music. As I turn it down I order him, "Get out." and click in my seat belt.

"Ya got an appointment ta make."

He reaches for my keys and I slap his had away, "Not now, Logan." I shift into first but leave the clutch in, waiting for him to get out. Just the feel of the trucks vibrations rumbling through the head of the stick and my hand are enough to start to calm me. When he doesn't move, I say, "Fine," and pull out of the garage, closing the door behind me. "Buckle up."

He does as I circle the driveway and pull onto a two track that leads to an old narrow dirt road that passes by the cemetery and out of the city. It's a never-used road except by me an people who occasionally want to go look at some ancestral grave. Eventually it leads to a more traveled gravel road that winds aimlessly through the mountains.

"'See ya learned how ta drive a stick," my unwanted passenger observes.

"I always knew how ta drive a stick, just not very well," I grumble back.

"Where ya goin'?"

"For a ride. A nice, quiet ride without any talking, thank you." See now, I say this, yet I, myself, keep talking. "I don't need a pep talk right now. Go talk ta Joseph if yer in the mood ta give one."

"Why does he need one?"

I don't say anything. Its none of his business.

He stares out the windshield, "Can't help ya if ya don't talk ta me, kid."

I glare at him briefly before returning my eyes to the road, "What the hell makes ya think that I need yer help right now?"

He doesn't react to my anger. I don't know how he does that…Instead he says calmly, "Cuz yer runnin' again."

"I'm not running. If I was runnin', I would have a full tank of gas," I glance to the fuel gage and notice that I'm closer to the E mark than the quarter mark. "Damnit…" I growl. I know, I know, its bad for the vehicle to get so low on fuel… I pull off to the side and maneuver my truck in some semblance of a U-turn and head back into town. This is all Joseph's fault, by the way. It IS! I can come up with some excuse if you don't believe me…

"Why's Joseph need help then?"

I give him a nasty look "Don't you ever just lay off?"

"Don't you ever quit avoiding?" he counters.

I pass the school and pull out into the street. There's a gas station down the block that doesn't have a huge issue with mutant customers.

"Well?" Wolverine presses.

My steering wheel cover creaks from me gripping it so hard. "Ya know, most of the time, I don't mind you pretending ta care about my life or issues, but sometimes it _really_ gets old."

He growls back, "What do ya mean pretend--"

I cut him off, still sounding angry, "Joseph's had his head up his butt for the last month or so cuz he's been testing me ta see if I'd make a good replacement or not. He wants ta leave the team."

Hey, yay. This shuts him up for a bit. "Amber's his replacement."

"I know," I pull into the station and get out. Wolverine does too. The lady at the next pump looks at me and says something to her husband in the car. He gets out and , crossing his arms, glares at us while standing guard over his car. I couldn't hear what they said, but Wolverine gives them a dirty look.

"Why does he wanna leave?" he asks while reaching for the nozzle and opening my tank, still eyeballing the couple.

I make it to the other side of the truck, "I don't know. Ask him." I reach for the nozzle, "Don't pump my gas, I'm perfectly capable of doin' it myself. I have been for eight years."

He holds it out of my reach and does it anyway. "Go inside and pay."

I glance inside the store where the woman went and is now speaking to the attendant and pointing at me. "I don't pay inside when that guy's working." I shove my way around Logan to get to my passenger door.

"Why not?"

"Cuz he over charges me." From my glove box, I pull out a gas card and swipe it through the machine.

"You keep a credit card in yer glove box? That aint exactly the safe thing ta do, kid," he doesn't mention the attendant.

"Well it's safe if yer not blabbin' it ta the world. Why don't ya say that a little louder so the new guys can hear," I nod in the direction of a car that pulls up.

Still pumping the gas, he grabs my upper arm and slams me into the truck door just hard enough to make me grunt from the ache that radiates from my midsection. "All right, that's enough of the attitude, girl," he snarls at me suddenly. "This problem aint going away on its own, so obviously you need some help with it."

"Let go of my arm, Logan," I reply evenly.

"Then quit bein' a bitch," he says just as even.

My jaw drops open but before I can say anything the man from the new car asks, "Is there a problem here, miss?"

"No," I answer, then look around Wolverine. That's when I notice the light on the car's dashboard. It's a plain-car cop. "We're fine…"

"You!" the officer shouts, pointing it me accusingly. Then I notice that the black eye I'd given him a couple days ago on that mission is starting to heal nicely.

"Crap."

Wolverine turns to the man, "You got a problem here, bub?"

"Yea," he answers, pulling out a pair of hand cuffs. To me he says a little too loudly, "Your under arrest for assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and--"

"Yea?" I counter, moving away slowly, "Where's yer warrant?"

"I don't need one, mutie."

Wolverine's claws pop out inches from the man's nose, "I suggest ya put those cuffs away, mush mouth, if ya don't want me ta feed 'em to ya." As the cop drops the cuffs, I'm ordered, "Get in the truck, kid."

I do as I'm told. I'm stubborn, but not stupid. We pull out of the station as the attendant bursts out of the store and starts to shout obscenities at us. "Well that's a bit of a strong reaction," I comment dryly, steering my truck to a back road that leads to the school.

"You got some effect on people," Logan says while shaking his head.

I don't say anything. Instead, we pull into the school's garage and I turn off my truck. Resting my head on the steering wheel, I sigh a very heartfelt sigh. "Go talk ta Joseph," I finally tell the still waiting Wolverine.

As I get out, he asks my back, "Ya all right?"

I don't answer him. I'm suddenly exhausted. And hungry. It's past supper time, but I think the exhaustion beats the hunger. Oh, yea, I'm also still ticked off at Joseph and the human race for being dominated by bigots. Yea, I'm fine, all in all. I go to my bed room and get within a foot of my beloved bed before Ana barges in.

"Cougar? I know you're here. You better be here and not out running around…"

If I hold very still…maybe she won't--

"I see you!" she shouts unnecessarily. "YOU, missy, were supposed to go see Dr. McCoy. You are a vital member of this team and you're not going to get better if you don't take care of yourself. You weren't at dinner either, were you?"

I take a deep breath. A deep, calming breath because I'm getting irritated. "Ana, yer gonna make a great mother, some day, but I'm 23 and don't need one right now." I turn to see her hands on her hips and frowning face. I know that she wont quit pestering me until I go see him. I hold up my hands, "Yea, Yea, I'm goin'."

"You said that last time," she points out, following me to the elevators.

"Something came up."

"Like _what_?"

"Stuff," I grunt back. I'm supposed to be a scary superhero and I'm henpecked by my teammates. How uncool is that?

The elevator ride is much too long and when the doors open up, Joseph, Wolverine and Cyclops almost plough me over.

"Watch it," I growl just as Ana cautions, "Careful."

Joseph pivots from his intended path to follow me back the way he'd been coming from. "Cougar, you had no right to discuss with Wolverine what we were talking about earlier."

Wow, I must still be pretty grumpy because my first impulse is to punch him. I don't though. See how good I'm getting with that self-control thing? Instead I answer with evident anger, "Yea, well you got no right ta ditch the team without discussing it with us first."

"What?" Ana's eyes go wide, "What are you talking about?" She turns to the others, "What's she talking about?"

"I'm not 'ditching' the team, Cougar. I told you that it had nothing to do with the X-Men." Ooh, Joseph's mad. Big Fat Deal.

"Well that must just suck for you then," I reply with sarcasm, "cuz as far as I'm concerned as soon as ya accepted the leader position, everything ya do effects us."

Cyclops butts in, "Joseph, she has a right to express her concerns for the team. Furthermore, you should have come to one of us with _your_ concerns before this problem escalated--"

"Hey," Dragon cuts him off, "It's my life. I'm not owned by Xavier's school."

"Settle down, kid," Wolverine orders gruffly. "We're just tryin' ta help." Didn't he already say that?

Joseph shakes his head with frustration, "You know what? I'm not a kid anymore," louder he repeats, "We're not kids anymore and you guys have **got** to stop treating us like we are. We're never going to be able to help people if you're constantly breathing down our necks and testing us!"

Ana and I turn expectantly from our leader to our former teachers. I decide quite suddenly that I don't want to be here and start edging my way toward the MedLab. Kill two birds with one stone: get Ana off my back and get away from the whole situation.

Beast is standing in the doorway, having been drawn out of his deep thoughts by the commotion.

I slip past him and, from behind, pipe up, "Ya know, it's rude ta eavesdrop." He jumps and I smile a bit.

"Cougar," closing the door with a quiet 'click', he turns around to say sternly, "I was under the impression that you were avoiding me." He pulls my beeper from his pocket and hands it back to me.

"Naw," I ease myself onto the exam table, "Just this place."

"Understandable," he smiles back at me, though it's a distant smile and I have the feeling that he's thinking more about the scene in the hall than my upcoming check up.

"Well, lets get this over with," I sigh.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

R&R, as usual. Sorry for the wait, I'm busy with tests and family emergencies. I'll try to write up the next (and maybe final?) chapter over thanksgiving break.


	18. Chapter 18

**Review Replies:**

Lady Q: Yea, headaches suck. They make ya say funny things though, don't they?

Redmage: Ah, finals are done!! Ya know, I honestly have no idea what kinda ending I'm gonna come up with. Guess it's a surprise, for everyone.

Wolfy: It would have more of you if you wrote your own. I started one for you, you have my permission to expand on that.

No Proud to be an X-Nerd? Where'd you go off to?

**Quote:**

Sabertooth: Do you even know how to kill me?

Wolverine: I'm gonna cut your goddamn head off. See if that works for ya.

--X-Men Origins: Wolverine (EVERYONE seen the trailer yet? ITS AWESOME!! Here's the link if you haven't. In it, wolverine doesn't swear, but I saw a fuzzier pirated version of the trailer and he did, so I put it in that way. Its more Wolverine, don't you think?):

http://www./thefeed/blog/post/691748/XMen_Origins_Wolverine_Trailer_Is_

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

**Chapter 18**

The hall is quiet when I finally get out. I've been poked and prodded and exposed to X-Rays and given more pills that I doubt I'll take. After an hour and a half of this, I was told that my guts are fine (of course, Beast used better phrasing…) and that my external wounds were healing quite faster than he'd expected, which caused him many 'hmm's and 'I wonder…'s. Personally, I don't care. It still hurts.

I'm tired, slightly shakey, but still hungry enough to opt for the kitchen instead of my bed. Food is good. I poke around the fridge for a bit and finally settle on making a sandwich with stale bread and questionable mayo. No one's gone shopping yet, I see.

I sit on a stool at the island and munch the awful meal, washing it down with expired milk. Hey, its not like it's rancid or chunky yet. It's even probably got a good day before it sours… I look up from examining said milk as a student comes in. Jana's her name. She can fly and has a wicked way with computers. A mutant way, I should say. My eeyes follow her as she digs through the freezer and comes out with a well-concealed carton of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. It's Amber's flavor, I think, but who knows how long its been there.

"That aint freezer burned, is it?" I ask, making the girl shriek and drop the container.

"Oh my goodness, Ms. Cougar, you scared the day lights out of me!"

Did I now?" I take another bite of the cruddy sandwich and motion for her to take a seat across from me. The girl cracks me up. She's from a super conservative family with 16 extremely sheltered homeschooled kids. I voiced my opinion that it was some up tight nut cases trying to breed their own cult, but I go yelled at for that. The family was also very religious so when one of the kids turned out to be a mutant, they told the poor kid that she must have done something terrible to anger God and that they were going to shun her just like He was. Some parents; that's the way to teach the love of God… The poor child was in a pretty bed depression when she got here. Professor Wagner made a special visit just to help console her and get her to believe that God wasn't punishing her. She was one of our first students, and aside from the shock of modern culture, was doing much better.

She sits across from me and cracks open the ice cream.

"So how ya been doin'?"

"Good," she looks down when she answers me. I don't take it personal. Physical mutations were an anomaly for her when she first came. She looks down so that she wont stare. She thought I was a monster when she first saw me. Funny reaction when she aw Nightcrawler without his holoimage.

"Oh, Ms. Cougar!" she cries suddenly, making me jump at the noise. Staring at me with wide eyes she asks, "Is the school _really_ closing down?"

"What?" I put down my milk, which had made it halfway to my mouth, "What are you talking about?"

"Everyone's saying that Mr. Niles is leaving the X-Men and if he does, then the whole team will leave and the teachers won't have enough help or protection for the school and we'll all be sent back home. But, Ms. Cougar, I don't have a home to go back to!" her voice cracks with this last part. "And I like it here…"

I shake my head at her. "Don't worry so much. X-Men don't cut 'n run. We're gonna be here for as long as we're needed. And trust me," I add darkly, "we're gonna be needed for quite some time."

"But what about Mr. Niles?" she asks miserably.

"Dunno," I tell her honestly. "That's not anything ya really gotta worry about."

"Yes ma'am…" she takes another bite of her ice cream, though her face still looks sad.

I sigh. I want to go to bed, really I do, but I know that as soon as my head hits the pillow, someone will come and get me up about something. Its been one of those days. Instead, I rest my head on my hands and wait.

"Are you all right, Ms. Cougar?" Jana asks, jolting me awake.

"Yea," I mumble and rub at my burning eyes, "Hunky-dory."

"Everyone's been saying that you were hurt while we were in California."

Now how would the students know if I never told my classes? Blabbermouth teachers… "Yea, I got hurt bad, but I'm gettin' better."

"Is that why Mr. Logan is teaching your classes now?"

"Oh," I make a face, "You guys have been puttin' up with him? I'm sorry."

The girl finally smiles a bit," He's not that much harder than you. Wasn't he your teacher when you were a student? When you were back at the first Xavier's School?"

I nod. "Yea, he was, back in the day," I feel old. "He'll be yers too when you graduate from here." When she looks slightly shaken at the thought, I laugh a bit (ow...ow...) "It won't be that bad—"my beeper goes off. See, I told you. It's the conference room number. Slowly, I get to my feet and put my dishes in the sink, my half eaten sandwich in the garbage and tell Jana, "Don't stay up too late." She nods at me with a mouth full of ice cream.

Everyone's there by the time I make it to my seat, teachers, new X-Men, old X-Men and Frost. She isn't in a category.

"Is everyone here?" Amber asks above the din of the crowd. Hmm, what's it mean if she's heading the meeting and Joseph's nowhere to be seen? "Did anyone get ahold of Cougar or was she already asleep?"

Bill answers her, "She didn't pick up the phone when I called her room, but I paged her."

Briefly, I consider not saying anything, just slipping back out and really going to bed. Course, then I'd be out of the loop.

I weigh the options until Wolverine pointedly asks me, "Ya awake, kid? Yer missin' roll call."

"Yea, I'm here," I grumble.

"All right, everyone settle down," she orders. I would have just yelled 'shut up', but that's probably one of the reasons why I'm not the one up there. "I assume," she starts after everyone's sat down," that everyone's heard that Joseph's considering leaving the team." When no one jumps up shouting 'What?!?', she continues, "I haven't had a chance to speak with him, myself, but we just happen to be lucky enough to have Cyclops and Ms. Frost here to explain the protocol for a situation like this. Mr. Summers _has _spoken with Joseph, so he has more knowledge on this current matter than I do, so I'll let him address the group now."

She sits. He stands. So coordinated. "After speaking with Joseph, we've both decided that the best course of action, for the present, is for him to take a leave of absence. It's not for me o say why, but it appears that he just needs a vacation, of sorts, to help him figure out his next move." There's exchanged looks among the team and he assures us, "This isn't a resignation. We won't post another X-Man here as his replacement. For the time being, Amber will fill his role as team leader, Conner is her second in command. As far as filling in the classes that he teaches, that's Lisa's call to decide who will be the best fit and who's schedules will be rearranged.

"Where's he goin' on this vacation? Just incase we need him?" I ask, still a little sore from him for saying to hell with the X-Men and abandoning us all to our doom. OK, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Maybe I need the vacation.

"He'll spend some time at the mansion in New York. Then we're not sure. I don't think the team will be crippled without him, though. We've trained you to function as a team under all conditions. The original X-Men team was only comprised of four people, too."

He means for this to be comforting, but its not.

"OK," Conner raises his hand slightly, then drops it when he realizes what he's doing. "But lets say we do have a hard time with only four on the team. Every other team has more than five. Can't we just get one of the extra's on retainer or something? Or even maybe one of the students who are about to graduate from the head school? You're going to be placing X-Men graduates onto teams pretty soon anyway, aren't there any that might be a good fit here?"

Cyclops looks to Wolverine, who shrugs, then answers, "We've felt that your team functions well as is, but we might take that into account. Maybe it is time that you add on a few more teammates. Keep in mind, though, that you'll have to all come back to the New York school to restart team training for a time. It'd be best to wait until a time when you won't have to worry about classes to teach, also."

He wants to wait until summer vacation? Jeez, Joseph'll probably be back by then.

"Oh, wait," Ana realizes something, "We only have three people. Cougar's out for recovery.

Oh yea. I forgot about me too. I'd laugh about it, but that'd hurt too much.

"Emma and I will be here for the rest of the week. Wolverine offered to stay for awhile longer too. However, Beast has said that she's doing better than expected." He looks over in my general direction and frowns because I'm laying my head on the table and not appearing to be paying attention. I am…just not the way he likes.

"Actually" Beast interjects, "Cougar, it's your rate of healing that is doing better than expected." He too peers over at me.

"Cool," I shrug, not knowing what he wants from me.

"I would actually like to run a few more tests before I conclude too much, but I have a theory that by having been 'brought back to life' so to speak, and then healed rapidly, your regenerative capabilities may be exhibiting a form of side effect, giving you more advance healing overall."

I shrug again, "Cool." I nod to Conner, "Thanks for the jump start, by the way."

"No problem," he says, casually. See, we're all better now. No worries, Frost can go now….

"Are there any other questions?" Cyclops asks.

We're all quiet, just like we were when he asked us that question back in school.

"OK, lets call it a night then," Amber takes back charge and dismisses us.

Dani speaks up as everyone shuffles away, "And if you see any students, remind them that tomorrow IS a school day."

I'm one of the last ones out. I'm feeling worn down. Sleep is definitely my goal…and guess what? I actually reach it. I sleep like a baby all night. I'm rudely woken up in the morning, but I can't ask for everything, can I?

"Hey, Cougar, are you awake?" Devon asks from the doorway, "You're not going to rip off my head, are you?"

Ha ha. He thinks he's so funny. "For wakin' me up?" I mumble into the pillow then struggle around to face him, "Yes, come closer so I can hurt you. I roll my eyes to see the clock. 7:45. "Eight? It's only eight? Now I know yer gonna die…"

"Lisa sent me," he holds up his hands, "Don't shoot the messenger."

I let out a painful grunt as I sit up, running my claws through my hair to get it out of my face, "What's she want?"

"Joseph's already gone and she needs someone to cover just one of his classes and everyone else is already taken and I know that you're on recovery-leave, but it's just a desk job."

"Say that again faster, could ya? I'm only just waking up," I growl at him, using my bed post as support to get to my feet. I groan again, I'm sore AND stiff this morning. "When's the class?"

"Ten minutes?" He smiles nervously when I glare back, "Room seven?"

Eventually I break the glare to roll my eyes and sigh, "Yea, tell her I'll be there." I shuffle to my closet as he thanks me and dashes away. Teachers are always in such a rush. Because my bandages make my waist wider, I'm stuck with baggy jeans and a comfy t-shirt. It's good enough to teach in. There's not a code here or anything. It takes me five of my ten minutes just to dress.

Running late, I still head to the kitchen. I'm not teaching without coffee. It wouldn't be fair to the kids, after all. I'm almost to the pot when I notice that I forgot to put on shoes. I'm not about to go all the way back to my room. Well…guess I'm teaching barefoot today. Lisa will love that.

Coffee in hand, I finally get to the class room. It's clear that the kids know that Joseph's gone. Desks are out of order, students are in clusters talking and joking loudly, mainly because most still have their headphones on. Darn technology. "Hey, Hey, HEY!" I yell to be heard, getting rewarded with a sharp pain in my abdomen. When I look up from being doubled over, they're all staring at me wide eyed. "Sit down and shut up," I order with a scowl. They do so.

"Are you all right, Ms. Cougar?" one of the girls in the front asks.

"Yea," I answer her gruffly while taking up my own seat behind the desk. I feel a little out of place. I don't teach any of the desk classes. My martial arts classes and co-taught power control class are all done in either my dojo or the Danger Room with only about five kids at a time. This looks like its about ten, which means that there should have been someone else to fill in because most of the kids were here. This makes me frown. I wonder if they're out on a mission. How'd THAT get by me? All of the kids are staring at me, looking for directions. Wrong place to look. "What class is this anyway?"

I hear all forms of answers ranging from English to algebra to studyhall. I narrow my eyes and threaten, "Don't make me repeat myself," and take a long drink of my wonderful coffee.

"British Lit." everyone answers at once.

"Peachy. What're ya readin'?" Hey, I can talk like that, it's literature, not grammar. Mark Twain called it 'Local Color'. See, I'm more ejumacated than ya thunked. (that's a joke, not a typo)

A kid in the back laughs, "We're supposed to be reading this book by some chick."

"The humor in this escapes me," I tell him plainly with another drink.

A second boy backs up his buddy, "No one can understand is. It's called Wurthering Heights."

I make a face, "Oh, that God awful book? That crap's duller 'n ditch water. Joseph's makin' ya read that? It's nothing more than a cross-bred English pedigree trying to come off as a suspense."

I'm answered with cheers.

Well now, what do do? I should follow Joseph's lesson plan. But I don't want to. Guess which one I choose? "Someone go over to that cabinet over there and read out loud the titles of those books. I'm changing yer assignment."

More cheers. Someone reads off titles until I tell them to stop." The Taming of the Shrew. Shakespeare. Classic Brit. Lit. Hand out a copy to everyone and someone else collect Wurthering Heights and re-shelf that."

"Wow," Maria says to me, "You're cool-ness just went way up, Ms. Cougar."

"Yea. Great, I'm popular, my life is now complete," I reply sarcastically. "All right everyone, shut up again," I address the class as a whole, "So this is supposed to be one of Willy's comedies. For all you feminists out there, yer gonna hate it. I did, but it's got some good parts in it. Read it over, it's fairly short. In a week, I want a paper written up, summarizing it. Don't go to some stupid website and plagiarize, I shouldn't have to tell you that. As yer summarizing it, lemme know how those parts made you feel. Did you think it was funny, was it stupid, should ol' Willy have been hung by the women of his time for it? Put in quotes from the book to explain what you're thinking about. Two pages, double spaced."

I receive groans now for my assignment. Oh, pity, my cool-ness must have gone back down. "Until it's due, class will be spent reading or discussing any questions ya got on any of the parts. After this, we'll watch the movie, then, what the heck, we'll watch the modern movie that's based on it. Anyone that can I.D. what movie I'm talking about and put it in their paper, will get an extra 2 points." They're all staring at me. "Start readin'" I order with a scowl. Looking over them, I see Frost watching in on me from the door way.

"A word, Cougar?" she asks cooly. I can tell that she's annoyed that she couldn't just telepathically tell me whatever it is that she's going to blather on about. Goody.

When we get to the hall, I ask before she can say anything, "Where is everyone?"

"A mission," she doesn't really answer.

"Where, what's up?"

"Just a little skirmish with some mutant terrorists. Nothing serious," she smirks a little, "Is poor Cougar feeling left out?"

I tilt my head at her and say sweetly, "Just like you being left out when Jean was saving my sister? Must've hurt that you couldn't do it yerself."

"Hm," she raises an eyebrow at me, "You really do have quite the mouth on you. Funny, Scott always described you as the quiet one." She pauses, "Then you turn around and change the assignment schedule, surprising the students as well as me with the apparent knowledge in literature. The Cougar reads; will wonders never cease?"

I sigh, tiring of the banter, "What'd'ya want, Frost?" I ask as ungrammatically as possible.

"A little more politeness wouldn't be too much to ask in return for my favor."

My face twists on its own, "What favor?"

"I'll watch these children for you while you go down to the MedLab."

"What for?" I ask, probably more of Beast's tests.

"Your sister is awake." She answers me instead.

"Oh…" I feel my face go slack, "Well…cool."

She smiles at my reaction "Yes, quite."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

OK, so it wasn't too long, or too interesting, but its one of the wrap up chapter that are at the end of all stories (I think). I'm not sure what's coming up or how many chapters it'll take to finally cap this story off, so just hang in there everyone. Thanks for the reviews and hanging in there with me, I know the times between posts is getting ridiculously long, but I'm trying. Happy Holidays everyone!!


	19. Chapter 19

**Review Replies:**

Wolf: Wow, you posted that review at 7 in the morning? WHY??!!??

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Yay, your still a fan!! I wrote the class teaching part because I wanted to have some extra interaction with the students. She's not JUST a superhero. And Wurthering Heights sucked. I was the only one in my class who actually bothered to read all of it (so for my report on it, I got special privileges and just got to write a review…it wasn't a nice review either). And the home-school issue is going to be discussed below (I didn't mean to offend).

Lady Q: Wow…my last chapter was out at Christmas? I feel bad…its been forever…Well, I was actually offered a chance to write professionally for a starting up comic book company, but my work load this semester is just too much. Writing the story started to become a chore (I like this one a lot better anyway) and it seemed that I was doing all of the hard work of it—writing 3 novellas and multiple scripts—and wouldn't be getting very much of the profits anyway. But, such is life. Now I have more time to finish up Cougar. I just gotta find a good way of doing that.

**A Note To All:** Proud to be an X-Nerd pointed out that I may have been a bit harsh on my portrayal of home school kids, stereotyping them into overly-sheltered Bible thumpers. I didn't mean to offend anyone who may have been/ still is a home schooler, or have friends who are. I actually based the character on a girl that I knew. Her family is very religious and have A LOT of children (nothing bad with that) but the kids were extremely sheltered. Our mothers were friends while they were pregnant with us, and I don't actually remember too much of the girl after her family moved away except the occasional visit. The kids were amazed at Oreo cookies and couldn't figure out how my mom had made them. They were 12 and watching Barney because they weren't allowed to watch television. Gosh Darn was a swear word. Now, they were very nice people and a very loving family, but the girl grew up and went off to college and now deeply resents her parents for sheltering her so much. I don't even think that she speaks to them anymore, which is sad. The character was also lightly based on the reality TV show _18 Kids and Counting_. Watch the show for clarification on that, especially the ones where the boys and girls swap chores (can we say sexism?) or the ones where the oldest boy is getting married. SO that's my peace.

**Quote:** "When the world turns its back on me, my sister turns her back on the world. She takes my hand and leads me to where I need to go." –My sister in a scholarship speech thingy. She made the judge cry.

**Chapter 19**

"Dalla!" my sister greets me by my old baby name.

Conner and Beast look at me surprised. They hadn't noticed me enter the room but she had…sisterly bonds.

Relieved at her greeting, I make a face at her, "Don't call me that." She still looks wiped out so I ask, "How ya feelin'?"

"Well," she answers lightly, "I'm back in my mind, so pretty good. I need a shower though…oh, and I was kind of wondering where am I?"

I look to the other two X-Men and Conner answers the question in my eyes, "We weren't sure if it was her or not, so we couldn't reveal our location…"

Laura butts in, "We're at your school, aren't we? In Colorado?"

"Yea. The lower levels. The Medlab."

"Sweet!" she exclaims with such enthusiasm, "Do I getta watch you yell at kids? Can I go on a mission with you?"

I reply shortly, "Probably. And no." To Beast I ask, "Can I set her up in a room upstairs?"

"Of course," he answers. "But keep in mind," he turns back to Laura, "You've been confined to a bed for quite some time and it will take more than a few days to regain your strength."

"Hey, as long as I'm not in the nuthouse, it's all good." Slowly she gets to her feet, "Whoa, you weren't kidding." She links her arm through mine, knowing it'll annoy me. I scowl at her and she smiles brightly back. We're both adults now, but that doesn't stop her from pressing my buttons on purpose.

"Conner," I remember to ask, "Where was the team this morning?"

He looks like he's about to lie to me, then opts for the truth, "Small mission; bank robbery."

"How'd we do?"

"Heh," he rubs the back of his neck, "We need to do some training. Apparently we've been too reliant on our whole team being there. How was your class?"

"New reading assignment," I answer, leading Laura out the door.

"What? Cougar, you're a sub, you're not supposed to—"

I'm already out in the hall, grinning.

"Wow, your ornery here too," my sister observes.

"Heck yes." We enter the elevator. "So what exactly happened?"

She rolls her eyes, "The same thing that always happens; I opened my big mouth. I was at a club meeting and blathered the big 'M' word. Afterwards another member, a medical student came and was asking me all these questions. She claimed," we get of on the Dorm floor and she follows me continuing, "that she was doing the whole 'Mutant Rights racquet' and was just so amazed at the variety of gifts that mutants have. Next day, my school comes barging into my room with all these statements from teachers on how I was acting like I was having a mental break down and hearing voices and all that crap." She pauses to breathe. Can you imagine our phone calls to each other? She talks non stop and I grunt back occasionally. No joke.

I check a few rooms as she continues her story, "They did the Mutant test on me and said that I came back negative, which is bull, of course, and stuck me in that hospital. The girl, the med student? She was an intern there. They were doing some kinda psychic experiments, but I'm not sure what. They were giving me this drug that was supposed to dampen my psychic powers and the next thing I know, I'm here. You know, with that whole Rebecca mess and the land of the dead thing in there, too."

I motion her into the room, "All right, I'll stop back to give you some clothes. Take a nap if ya need, but I gotta go discuss all of this with some of the higher ups. I suggest that you take at least a vacation up to the New York school to have some better psychic shields put in yer head and ta also get some actual training." I wave her off when she tries to argue, "Hey, ya got yerself thrown inta a nut house and became possessed. I think that's a good sign that ya need some training. Besides, ya might like it there. We DO teach teachers there, ya know. They could hook ya up with a good college and you could teach normal kids, or you could stay there and become one of the teachers at our schools."

She and I have discussed this before, but she's always refused. Its not that she's ashamed to be a mutant, she's just against the idea of mutant schools. She says their existence encourages other schools to exclude mutants. In a way, I agree with her, but segregated schools are a necessity at this time.

"We'll see," is all she finally answers, sounding much like our mother.

I leave her to search for some clothes for her. She's not the same size as me anymore. Weeks of starving as a teen had kept me rather lean, added on to all of the team training, but she's always been more shapely than me, larger bust size too. That's not jealousy…Anyway…I gather a pair of sweat pants and a t-shirt and stop by the room to toss them onto her bed. I can hear the shower running, so I don't stop to chat. I need to update Cyclops on what she was talking about, and maybe check in with Amber to see how she's coping with the sudden weight of team leader.

I travel down a floor and walk by the class rooms. Ms. Frost is teaching one of Josephs. Poor kids…of course, some of the boys are practically drooling. Lisa may look up to Frost as a powerful, well female educator and expert of the world, but she definitely frowns upon her choice in attire. I finish checking the floor, but find none of my teammates. They're not on the ground floor either.

Sub levels then. Beast is in the MedLab, but no one else is around. Ooh…that must mean that they're training….I grin at the thought and make a bee line for the control room. Its always so fun to mess with people.

As the door swishes open, my smirk drops. Cyclops is controlling the training. No fun for me. He turns from watching my team to see me. It takes him a moment to actually do the seeing part, but I'm not really making an effort to be noticed. "How we doin'?" I look over his shoulder through the observation window.

"Your team trained with him for years. I was expecting better." He says it with a smile so I don't take it personally.

"Yea, well most of our training 'with' him was actually 'against' him." I watch the battle, no holograms, but still more stimulating than T.V..

As Wolverine slices off a metal tentacle, another one manages to snake itself around Crayola's waist and hoist her high into the air. There, it holds her steady while a large circular saw swings toward her head. She barely quirks a blue eyebrow and the saw veers off course to slice neatly through the tentacle holding her. She drops to the floor, wiggling out of the disabled coils. Medic catches her a couple of feet above the ground. Blast is 'on guard' and trying to keep the simulations from sneaking up behind everyone else.

"They're coasting," I decide through narrowed eyes. I lean back away from the glass.

"Coasting?" Mr. Summers asks, clearly confused.

"Yea. They're in the groove. They know what ta expect and are comfortable in there. You should up the difficulty level." I cock my head to the side, running an idea through my head…Its gonna make SOME ONE mad though. Probably more like SOME PEOPLE. "Better yet…" I smile to myself.

"What?" he asks, hand poised over the difficulty lever.

I pivot on my heel and head toward the Danger Room enterance, "Innocent Simulation!" I announce.

"No, Cougar, you're not well enough yet," he calls out to me. When I don't stop he gets madder, "Cougar, that's an order!"

He shuts down the simulation abruptly just as I walk into the room. "Cougar." He warns me over the loudspeaker.

My team, and Wolverine, freeze and turn to look at me questioningly.

"Hey," I address the control room, "I aint gonna do nothin'. Just sit here." Slowly I drop to the floor and sit Indian style. "And play innocent."

My team mates, along with me, exchange glances and eventually turn to Wolverine. "She aint gonna hurt herself, Cyke," he finally grunts. "Run the simulation. Its good practice for both the team at protecting someone and," he looks pointedly at me, "for Cougar ta learn ta just stay put and let the others do their thing."

I smirk back. We've all played the victim before in training, but because of my primary mutation of not being noticed, I end up being protected the least. More often than not, I end up jumping in and fighting back. BUT I'm still pretty banged up so I think I'll play by the rules this time.

The Danger Room kicks back to life. My team moves around the room, protecting each other and me from the treacherous mechanics. I sit and watch. A comic-looking hand reaches toward me and gets deflected by a blue blast. The floor plates start to shift with a visible electric current zigzagging below them. I scoot to the middle of my plate, a little more cautious now. There's chatter among the team and I feel slightly left out, not having an ear piece myself. Such is the life of the innocent, always out of the loop.

I start slightly as a blue force field engulfs me suddenly and a saw crashes into it from behind. 'Nice, Cougar,' I chide myself mentally, 'Way ta get yer head almost cut off…'

Despite my earlier vow to remain strictly sitting, I start to move a little more to watch my surroundings. Blast's shield disappears as she uses it on herself briefly.

My eyes narrow slightly as guns with low powered lasers emerge from the ceiling. Depending on the difficulty level setting, they can be as light as a push or knock a person unconscious. As I examine one, it pivots toward me. I twist my upper body to the left and narrowly avoid getting ghit. From experience with them, I'd wsay that they're more on the higher range of the settings. "Uh, guys?" I call out, "Lasers…" My floor plate lurches suddenly to the side. It slams into another, pauses briefly, then shoots forward again. I glare in the direction of the observations deck after ducking under another tentacle, "Hey, I'm just the innocent here, not the target!"

Another force field blocks a laser, but leaves Ana a target. The room recognizes this and turns multiple attacks on her. I look over to see Wolverine being attacked by dozens of tentacles, overwhelming him, though he's slashing like a mad man. His claws can't reach the guns that aim at his back. I flinch as two hit him dead center. The blasts knock him down enough to let the previous attackers get the upper hand.

Crayola is struggling to keep the deadly buzz saws off of everyone and uses one to aid Wolverine.

Medic starts to use the 'come-along' drill. Flying around in an unapparent pattern, the metal tentacles tangle among eachother and he removes about 20% of them. Next he focuses on the lasers that are still aimed on Blast, who's permanently shielded against the beams focused on her. She's weakening under the constant bombardment and now can't use her energy for blasts.

I'm on my feet, slowly circling the room. My team mates are all preoccupied, so I'm on the defense. An arm reaches for me and I try to dive out of the way. I succeed in avoiding the capture, but my wounds flare up even through the adrenaline. I'm left on all fours, gasping and clutching my stomach. And here I though I was healing up nicely…

"Cougar," Amber calls out, "Where'd you go?"

Oh. Right. Be noticed of you want to be saved. "To yer left," I answer as my floor plate starts to shift again, "Oh, I'm movin' though."

"Hold up, I'm going to move you over here," she orders.

I tense as she floats me closer to her. Once beside her, I regain my footing. "Is it just me or did the difficulty level go WAY up?"

"You're the one who ticked off Cyclops," she replies off handedly, focusing more on the attack centered on Medic.

A tentacle wiggles across the floor toward me and I move my foot away, "How're they even detecting me?"

Crayola looks at me sharply, then starts scanning the room.

"What?"

"Well, you playing innocent in New York was easy, the Danger Room could detect you if it was told specifically to do so. Our room's not that smart. It must be using infrared cameras. So we just have to find them." Over the ear piece, she orders her team, "Everyone get that? If you get the chance, take out the cameras."

Blast must have responded because Crayola turns to her, still struggling under two beams. Medic had destroyed one, but was now maneuvering wildly in the air to avoid becoming the new target. With a look of determination, ournew leader focuses on one of the guns and, holding out her hand to visualize the result, crushes it like a Styrofoam cup.

"That's new," I comment. She moves thing; usually she can't alter their dimensions with her mind only; give the girl a baseball bat, though, and you're in for a real show.

"Blast, I need you to drop your shield, dodge the attack and put a field around Wolverine just long enough for me to get him out of that mess."

We're close enough to her the Canuck's reply, "Hey, don't worry 'bout me," he grunts, slicing his arm free and narrowly avoiding a saw blade that was planning on doing the same thing. "I'm havin' fun."

Ana obeys the orders regardless of his comment. As the field engulfs him, she jumps to the side and begins to dodge and weave on the ground.

"Wolverine, brace yourself," Crayola warns just a second before she flings him in to the air and away from his pile of chopped up machine parts. "Take out that camera," she orders.

He does so with a growl, not really caring for the whole floating experience. But he's place on the ground immediately afterwards.

Wolverine's freed up now, along with Blast, who, immediately took out the remaining lasers , giving Medic a break. The team gathers on the floor surrounding me, except Conner who's floating above. I'm so protected.

The room shakes slightly as one of the walls opens up to reveal a sentinel-like robot.

"Oh, come _on_," I growl. Robots are for intense training only (they're too expensive to replace).

Crayola exchanges angry looks with Wolverine and turns to the two-way mirror infront of the observation room, "Cyclops, that's a little excessive fro an innocent drill."

In response, the robot's eyes light up red (Why are they always red?) and it drones, "Halt. You have been identified as an unregistered mutant."

She turns back to Wolverine, "What's he pulling?"

He stares up at the mirror before shrugging, "Trainin' is trainin'. Shouldn't matter what drill we're runnin'."

"Easy for _you_ ta say," I snap at him, or who ever will listen.

"All right, guys," Amber announces, "Lets all keep our heads up and an eye on Cougar."

Ana chimes, "That would be easier if Cougar would stay noticeable."

"Hey," I reply defensively, "I don't want that thing keying in on me."

"It probably already has," Conner replies cheerily.

I'd waste a glare on him, but my floor plate starts to move again, along with everyone else's.

"Halt, Mutant," the sentinel orders, moving after me. Stupid Conner was right.

I jump off my plate and onto another moving one. Playing hop-scotch, I move away from the immediate threat. Wolverine joins me on one, teetering it wildly. "Hey, watch it," I fling my arms out to try to balance us.

Using his claws, he slices through a tendril that grabs onto one of my flailing arms. "No, kid, you watch it. Pay attention ta more'n just the robot."

"I'm not supposed ta be payin' attention," I remind him with evident annoyance. "I'm supposed ta be sittin in the middle of the room and—" I yip as he pulls me a frogs hair out of the way of a robot aimed laser. I sigh, "Imma get hurt. And it aint my fault this time."

"No, and I'm gettin' pissed off about it," he growls. A tentacle opens into a hooked hand and latches onto his forearm, sending low-volt electricity through his metal laced skeleton. He grunts and slices it off. Its enough of a distraction for both of us that the sentinel fires and hits it mark. It's a lower energy than the wall-mounted lasers, but it still knocks my breath out of me and sends me down to my knees. A little too late, Wolverine snarls into the mic, "Blast, shield her!"

A flickering force field covers me, but Ana's also preoccupied with trying to take out the other lasers that have re-emerged from the ceiling. Conner's working on disabling the infinite number of grabbing (and now electrocuting) arms while Amber is directing both of them and keeping the saws off all of us.

Our floor plate starts to ascend rapidly.

"Blast, Cougar!" Crayola yells.

My shield drops. "Come on, kid," Wolverine grabs my arm and pulls me off the section of floor.

"Areyounuts!" I yelp as we drop down a dozen feet to another plate. I land on all fours to lessen the shock of the fall, but it still hurts like hell.

"Ya'll right kid?" he asks without pausing for my answer. Pulling me to my feet, he keeps us moving. Loudly he addresses the controller of the room, "Summers, that's enough, she's gonna get hurt."

Part of me, my pride most likely, wants to say that I'll be fine. The other part is SO ready to be done. The floor trembles under the sentinel's footsteps. "Oh…robot," I remember out loud. It fires at me again, but misses due to Medic flying into it's face. The machine bats at him unsuccessfully. The wall-lasers get him though.

"AMBER!" Blast shrieks as he plummets to the electric field below him.

Crayola catches him telekinetically a foot above the currents. This, however, drops her concentration from the saw blades, forcing Ana to shield herself to avoid decapitation. Wolverine leaps onto one and severs it from the wall, but gets another electrified arm clasped onto his shoulder. As this goes on, the sentinel closes in on its target (yea, that'd be me). Keep in mind that, as the innocent, I should not be THE target, just someone in the way.

I try to run. Distance is a good thing. The plate under my one foot shifts suddenly and I barely make the leap onto the next one, taking too much time and not enough distance. The robot's metal fingers wrap around my torso and lit me high into the air. I swear, loudly, to get my team's attention

"Hey, gu—ah!" I yell as the stupid robot grips me tighter and tighter. My stomach muscles scream and I can hardly breathe through the pain. My claws screech across the metal uselessly.

"Medic, catch her," Crayola orders as she brings one of the saws down through the writs. "Cyclops, end the run, NOW."

I fall with the hand still encircling me, though no longer crushing me. Conner flies in and grabs ahold of me by my arms like an acrobat. My current condition does not allow me to be an acrobat. As the weight of the hand drags me down and Conner pulls me up, I scream, feeling the stitches rip out of my stomach.

The offending machine clangs to the floor and Medic lowers me rapidly, considering my claws are involuntarily tearing up his skin. The one-armed robot fires at us just as we hit the floor, sending my teammate away.

"Damnit!" Amber yells, "Danger Room Override 62351, End Training Program!"

Immediately everything powers down; the floor locks back into place, the saws tentacles, and lasers go back to hiding inside the walls and the sentinel whines as it shuts off, remaining in the open for repairs. This makes me happy. I'm curled into a fetal position on the floor with my stomach bleeding again, but I'm happy.

"Cougar, are you all right?'' my new team leader runs up to me.

"No," I groan and try to get up, snarling at the pain. I fall back to my knees. Looking around from that position, I'm confused at the lack of talking.

"Conner's out," Ana announces, cradling his head in her lap. "I think he hit his head, unless the shot was set at stun."

"It wasn't supposed to be," Amber actually growls, glaring at the control room.

"Ya'll right, kid?" Wolverine asks me again, helping me up. I'm not ready to get up, but my feral instincts become alert at his touch. He's not happy. "Come on, yer goin' ta the MedLab." With a hand on my lower back, he starts to push me toward the door, "Can you two grab Conner?" he asks over his shoulder.

"He's starting to wake up," Ana answers. To Amber she says, "You go with them, I'll bring him in a minute."

Amber joins us in the hall where I'm practically being dragged down the hall; and right now, I can't handle the speed. "Wolverine, hold it," I stop suddenly as a severe throbbing in my midsection worsens suddenly. I nearly double over with the sharp pain that follows each dull ache. Gasping, I explain, "Yer goin' too fast."

A door opens behind us and the others turn to look I'm concentrating on the floor, myself.

Cyclops's voice calls out, "Logan, a word."

A snarl rumbles out of him, making the hair on the back of my neck raise. I growl nervously as he breaks apart from our little group and marches back down the hall.

"Cougar?" Amber asks as I turn to follow him with my eyes.

He's stalking toward Cyclops as I answer, "He's very angry…"

She turns back in time to see our old teacher deck the leader of the X-Men. So much for that self control crap he's always giving me…

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

OK, so I'm trying to wrap up any stings/loose ends from the story, but I have this problem where I like writing Cougar, so the chapters just keep coming. Getting annoying? Anyway, I wanted another stab at an action chapter, and I have a couple other results from this chapter. So there you go, I'm not dead and gone, just incredibly busy this semester, but spring break is next week, so hopefully I'll get ahead on my school work and be able to start a new chapter. Coolio's huh? R&R as always!


	20. Chapter 20

**Review Replies:**

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Hehe, I love your reviews..they're always so…everywhere :D Yes, I agree: Wolverine is WAY cool. Can't wait for the movie to come out. This chapter has some more sister-sister interactions but not as much as I would have liked. I do try to get Laura's personality across (I think) so that was pretty much my main goal. Ya know, I've been trying to come up with a way to end this story and more just keeps coming to me. The cool thing is, tho, is that I've got a great idea for a sequel (assuming time availability). Sadly I graduate next month and will have to venture out to the real world where there's no slacker classes. Ah well, there's always lunch breaks, right?

Vballmania23: I try really really really hard to not do the whole Mary-Sue thing and for awhile I thought that I was failing. I counter act that with Cougar getting all mopey sometimes, or getting killed or even just complaining about sucky-ness of powers. I think that's the key?

Amazon Panther: It took me FOREVER to figure out an event big/bad enough for me to make Wolverine punch Cyclops. I SO wanted to do it (I'm not sure why, hehehe) but I just couldn't fit it in anywhere. That whole chapter was written just so that he could punch Scott. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Dusel:  Ah, I'm a bad author…I must have missed your last review. Well, just for you, I'm gonna put a little section in here describing her appearance. I think her appearance actually has been given, I just sprinkle it throughout the chapters (of the prequel and this). Will Cougar take part in the major X-Men adventures? Sadly, I have not found a store that sells X-Men comics for quite some time. I based this time line (Jean being dead and Emma and Scott running the school and shacking up) on the last issue I read in a store, telling you how long ago that was. I heard of the whole House of M thing and don't much care for it, so I doubt that I'd go in that direction.

Lady Q: Boy, you make ME tired…course I should go to bed too. No, I quit the comic book thing. It kind of felt like the company creator guy and I were picturing very different stories, and he wasn't very clear on what exactly he wanted me to write. It was some weird team thing that wasn't a team and that I was supposed to write each character's stories separate yet all in one series. Like a superhero version of Friends or something. I just didn't understand what he expected. Writing was becoming a chore, and I really enjoy writing Cougar more.

**Quote:** The greatest achievements were at first and for a time dreams. The oak sleeps in the acorn. –James Allen

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**COUGAR'S APPEARANCE:**

Height: 5'3"

Build: trim and fit (from the training)

Hair: Half way down her back, brown, straight

Eyes: Golden cat-like eyes

Other: Has non-retractable claws on her hands, a mouth full of sharp, pointed teeth, otherwise, fairly average. Sorry, that's all I got. Use your imaginations to fill in blanks or ask me in a review, I guess.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX **CHAPTER 20 **XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"This is not good," Amber mutters to me.

I grunt back.

Wolverine's clenching his fists and clearly holding himself back from hitting the downed man again. He'd floored Cyclops.

Slowly, Mr. Summers sits up, rubbing his assaulted jaw.

"What the hell was that, Summers?" Logan growls at him through bared teeth.

"A lesson," he replies tightly, getting to his feet.

"Are you outta yer flippin' mind? Ya coulda killed her!"

"That should have crossed her mind before she defied direct orders. We're trying to teach them how to _survive_, Logan, not act like a bunch of loose cannons!"

"Don't give me that defied orders crap—" he takes another step forward and I flinch, expecting them to start swinging.

"That is ENOUGH!" Amber shouts, making me jump. She too leaves me, hunched over in the middle of the hall, to stomp toward the two men. My eyes follow her and notice Ana and Conner, frozen in the doorway.

Physically positioning herself between the men, she faces off against Cyclops, surprising me. "I'm going to say this one time and that's going to be the only time," she glares up at him, hands on her hips, "We are no longer your students. You may be the director of this team but as of Joseph's hiatus, this team is _my_ responsibility and I will not stand for you jeopardizing any member of it because of your hubris."

Cyclop's eyebrows shoot above his ruby-lensed sunglasses, "Excuse me?"

His interruption seems to irritate her more than anything, but she elaborates, "Cougar was following orders just fine. She was supposed to be playing the innocent, **not** the target. It is an important drill for both her in learning how to cope with debilitating injuries and for the rest of the team to protect an innocent that's difficult to keep track of. It was _your_ defiance of protocol.

"We appreciate the major team's help when it's needed, but as of now, _your_ help in particular, is not. Logan can stay and continue our training, but you are removed from the sessions."

My jaw's not the only one that drops.

Next, she turns on Wolverine, "And **you**, how many times have we all heard you lecture Cougar on keeping her cool and not reacting like…" she shakes her head, looking for the right phrase, "some wild animal?"

I feel like pointing and shouting 'Yea!' or maybe just laughing.

Before he can utter a word she waves him off, "Go calm down, or just…stay away from Scott for awhile."

Hm…anyone else notice the switch from Mr. Summers to just Scott? Not lost on my team; Conner and Ana discreetly exchange glances.

No one moves. We're all just staring at the three of them. Wolverine breaks the spell, though, pivoting on his heel and heading for the elevators behind me. "I need a beer," he grumbles.

I'm the only one who gets to see the smirk on his face. I frown back at him but he saunters on by.

Conner makes the next move, "C'mon, Cougs, lets go get checked up."

As a whole, my team enters the Medlab, leaving Cyclops alone in the hall. We don't discuss what just happened. What just happened?

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Stitched up and stiff, yet pleasantly numb, I go to check on my sister, remembering to knock before barging in on her.

She's on the phone, chattering away (yea, she's back), but stops the one-way conversation long enough to remind me, "You were supposed to call the family when I got here. Mom was all worry-warty."

I roll my eyes, "I had an emergency come up and didn't have time to, 'sides, you weren't really you." She's only half listening but I continue, "We gotta figure out what yer gonna do."

Still listening to the other end of the phone, she answers, "I'm discussing that with Mom right now. I'll come find you when I figure it out."

I'm being dismissed by my little sister in my own house. I need a vacation.

Instead, I wander through the school. Just one trip down the hall tires me out, but I keep moving. Beast mentioned that I would regain my strength faster if I kept moving, but that I wasn't supposed to push it. Does that make sense to you? Me neither.

On the dorm floor, I hear Cyclops and Frost having a quiet conversation in their room. I up my powers so that I can listen in safely.

"Well wasn't that Xavier's point to all of these sub-teams and daughter schools?" Emma asks.

"To an extent, yes," he answers, sounding tired and muffled through the wooden door. "But I didn't expect it of this sub-team so soon, and who knows if Wolverine trained them well enough, or taught them the importance of being an X-Man. I mean, it is Logan we're talking about."

"Their team leader of three years just abandoned them for a holiday. I may be new to being and X-Man, love, but I thought_ loyalty_ was important to the team."

Its quiet for a moment before he replies, "We have to tread lightly from here. If we push too hard, they may split off completely."

"I agree, Scott, but if pulling back too much may have the same result. The team may be ready for that, but the school itself is far from it, as was seen by this infiltration—"

"Calla?" my sister knocks loudly two doors down, "You in there?"

I glance at her then back to the now silent couple's door as Emma asks, "Who?"

I tread silently down the hall to my room and just barely hear Cyclops answer her, "Cougar. You don't think….?"

I sprint the last few steps and barge through my door just as theirs clicks open. Great actress that I am, I stick my head out of my room just as Cyclops strides out of his, looking both ways down the hall. "Over here," I call to my sister and avoid eye contact with the man.

"Oh" Laura laughs, "You never told me what room you were in." She steps around Mr. Summers and joins me in my room. I close the door and whisper, "You got lousy timing."

"What?" she asks, confused and wide-eyed.

I only shake my head, "What's up?"

"MmKay, so here's the deal," she flops down on my bed, bouncing slightly. "I'm taking a plane back home, BUT I do accept the whole school offer."

Stiffly I sit next to her, "Which offer, training or becoming a teacher for one of our schools?"

"Are you hurt?" She reaches out to poke me but I swat her finger away.

"Yes, but answer my question."

"Oh, I figure I'll go get some training and see where I go from there. I guess it'd be all right to just teach at one of your schools. I still feel that segregation is the wrong way to go about Mutant acceptance."

"Well the world can't deal with un-segregated schools right now."

"Integrated schools," she corrects me. "But the longer we stay segregated, the more we—meaning the country or world as a whole—will see it as the norm."

I sigh and roll my eyes, having had this conversation many times with both her and my brother. They don't know any better though. They're both mutants (my brother's a telekinetic), but they haven't been to the front lines of the 'mutant conflict' as its been called for the last few years. Theirs is a prettier view of it. 'Mutants have it rough, but in time all will be better'. That sort of thinking. Like peace marches and sit-ins can help. Its pretty to think so and I know that that was Xavier's original way of thinking. But even he had to form the X-Men; to counteract both the zealot humans and mutants.

"When's yer plane leave?" I finally ask her.

She's moved from my bed to flipping through my few CD's. "You listen to weird music," she comments, holding up a Celtic, Hard Rock, Country and Church-hymn CD's. "My plane leave tomorrow at like, one."

"So soon?" I ask. All right, I'll admit that I miss my little sister, on occasion.

"Yea, only opening."

"I could fly you. We have a jet ya know."

She shakes her head, moving from my DC's to snooping through my book case, "I'm landing in Billings an the press is going to be there. I'm going public with my ordeal."

"Yer What?!" I growl, shooting to my feet. "DO you have any idea how stupid that is? You'll be a sitting duck for any Joe-shmuck who thinks it'd be cool, or the work of God, ta publically 'off' a mutie!"

She frowns at me, hands on hips and counters, "Well that wouldn't exactly look good for the nation, would it? Killing a mutant on live TV? That's the whole point! We need it to be known how few rights we have."

"Not by making you a martyr, Laura." I shake my head. "Does Mom know how stupid and dangerous this is?"

"No. But I'm 20 years old, I don't exactly need her permission."

I can tell she won't give up on this. I know her too well. She's never been one to stand down just because she could lose. The only problem is that its not grades or choir song choices that she's sacrificing.

"C'mon," she pleads for my blessing (not that she needs it). "You know how bad the mutant thing is right now. I mean, they're saying that its as bad as when mutants first started coming out. And this new President has taken all the teeth out of the Mutant rights bills and acts and stuff. Oh yea, they're still there, but they don't do anything now."

I continue to scowl at her with my arms crossed. She takes my silence as a sign to continue.

"Stories like this need to be brought out. The public needs to know what's going on."

"And what if the public don't care?"

"Oh come on, they wont care that a college student was kidnapped, locked in a mental institution and experimented on, along with a dozen others?"

I answer her in a matter of fact tone, "In the mid 1900's, if a woman was born to an unwed mother and then raped at 16 to give birth to her own child out of wedlock, she was deemed an 'imbecile' by the government and forcibly sterilized so that she couldn't pass her 'stupidity' on to the next generation. Keep in mind that the public aint always rosey."

"That was a long time ago. People have grown since then; they know better now."

I shake my head at her, "Don't have faith in people."

"Well who else should I have faith in?" she counters.

I sound cynical even to me when I answer, "Just yourself."

This seems to almost please her, "I do have faith in myself, sister dear. I just want _you_ to have a little faith in me too."

I sigh and shake my head at her naïve-ness. "Montana isn't know for its mutant-friendly atmosphere. Imma set you up with a body guard."

"Who?"

"I don't know yet," I frown deeply at the floor. "No one from my team can leave, but I'm sure there's someone from another that we can get. I'll go find out." I leave her in my room, grinning at her victory.

I stalk through the hallway, pausing infront of Summer's and Frost's room long enough to decide that they're not there anymore. I'm not sure who to talk to about the body guard. I've got the feeling that Cyclops won't really want to have any respectable kind of conversation with me right now. Emma never has respectable conversations but I wouldn't want to _ask_ her for anything either.

I go down a floor, maybe looking for Amber, but classes have just gotten out and the kids are all hustling outside for the nice weather. Everyone's aware that winter is on its way. Looking out a window to the back yard, all I can see is Conner and Ana. Continuing my search rewards me with finding Wolverine in the middle of the couch in the TV room. He's drinking one of the confiscated beers and watching the sports channel.

"So," I get his attention and move to one side of the sofa, shooing him, "Move over." He does while I hold my new stitches in place while sitting. "I need a bodyguard."

"What?" he only looks at me because it's a commercial break. "You can take care of yerself. Don't let Creed scare ya."

"Huh?" I ask stupidly, then shake my head, getting it, "No, not for me. I'm fine. I need one for Laura."

"Yer sister? Why?" he grunts back.

"Cuz she's stupid and stubborn and takin' a plane home so she can go public about the college/hospital thing and I don't want her getting sniped."

"Lots of people are publically known mutants."

"Yea, but she's goin' ta _Montana_, where everyone has a gun. And she's publically speaking when she gets off the plane. She'll be a sitting target."

"Why's she doin' all this?" he asks, watching the TV again.

"I told you, she's stupid and stubborn." I glower at the couch cushion.

He glances at me to smirk, "Family traits?"

"Hey, I'm stubborn, but not stupid. She's tryin' ta make a martyr outta herself."

"She doin' it for a good cause?"

"Well, yea," I scowl at his reasoning abilities, "But it's not something she should risk her life for."

"Why not? You risk yers every time you go out on a mission."

"But…that's," I try to validate myself, "That's different."

He looks at me long enough to ask, "How?"

All at once, I sigh, roll my eyes and cross my arms over my stomach (insecurities anyone?). "Because she's my sister. And I know how ta defend myself in a fight."

"Is that why yer all stitched up? Cuz yer not stupid or stubborn and ya know how ta defend yerself in a fight?"

I narrow my eyes at him and he smirks, knowing that he's getting to me. "Shut up. Creed's an exception, he's nuts." I cut him off when he tries to say something else. "Anyway, she's not goin' out and fighting. She's just standing there and being a target."

"People fight in different ways, kid."

I open my mouth and close it, trying to think of something civilized to say…Nothing comes to mind…So I finally accuse him, "Yer not makin' me feel any better about this."

He snorts, "Was I supposed to?" He looks at me for a moment and relents, "Quit agitating yerself over nothin'. I got a guy in mind that can go up with her. I'll talk ta Summers and have him sent over before she leaves."

Grudgingly I reply, "OK. Thank you."

He goes back to watching his hockey game. Sports are so boring.

"Ok, so I was listening in on a conversation between Cyclops and Frost," I start.

He sighs, annoyed, "I'm watchin' a game, kid."

"We got TiVo," I reply uncaringly, "just push one of those buttons and it'll record it or whatever." I get a scowl in response but I continue anyway, "SO I was listening in and he was sayin' something about that he wasn't expecting 'this' from this team--mainly because we were trained by you—and wondering if we were really ready for 'this' and then he said that you guys can't push too hard or back off too much or we'll split off completely, but Frost said that the school wasn't ready for that yet."

He doesn't bother to look at me, "And how long were ya eavesdroppin' ta get all that?"

"Long enough ta wonder," I tap my chin with my claws for emphasis, "Was that another test?"

He's quiet for a couple seconds before answering, "Last one."

I shake my head, "What does that mean?"

He gives up on his game with a loud sigh and turns to look at me, "It means yer on yer own. We'll keep track of situations from New York and send ya out when yer needed, but no more evaluations, no more mandatory New York training visits, no more askin' for permission ta check up on something'. No more tests."

Leaning back into the couch, all I can think to say is, "Hmm."

"Yea," he goes back to watching TV again, "Congratulations, kid. Don't go blabblin' all this ta the rest of yer team. It aint official yet."

"Hm." I say again. Honestly, this has taken me completely by surprise. I didn't think that we'd ever actually be on our own.

I get up to go spend some sisterly bonding time with Laura before she goes and gets herself all famous. "She's leavin' tomorrow at one," I tell him and he nods back. Lets hope that his guy gets here in time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Now, I keep getting all of these favorite author addings in my inbox, yet I still am not getting new reviewers. What does that mean? Vballmania: sorry only 3,413 words.


	21. Chapter 21

**Review Replies:**

Dryad Mage: well hopefully there's more opportunities for you in your field than there is for me in mine. The real worlds lookin' kinda scary right about now…

Wolfy: I have no plans of an ending to share. I'll see how things go.

Winter Warrior: Woot to new reviewers!! I love hearing that people can't stop reading my stuff. So where's your accent from? I write the way I talk, so I'm just curious. As for drawing Cougar, go for it. Creativity is contagious. I'd like to see it…tho I'm not sure how that'd work. You'd have to email it to me or something.

Vballmania: Well, this chapters not as long, and theres not a whole lot of Laura's story in it, but the beginning of the next chapter's gonna be awesome, just so ya know.

**Quote:**"Catch on fire and people will come for miles to see you burn." –John Wesley

**Chapter 12**

I roll over in my bed and check the clock. 9:37. That's sleeping in for me. Laura and I had stayed up until three in the morning, eating rocky road ice cream and watching old movies from our childhood. She chose movies like The Never Ending Story and Harry Potter. I chose Die Hard. You'd think I had enough action in my life.

Groaning, I get out of bed, get dressed, and aim myself toward the coffee.

Some one's in the kitchen. Someone I don't know.

Going unnoticed, I quietly sit on the other side of the island counter and watch him riffle through the fridge and cupboards. He's fairly tall, lanky and has brown hair. I can't see his face from my vantage point though. He finds the coffee cups and picks up one of mine with a cougar on the front. Giving it a second glance he puts it back to choose a plain blue mug. He adds sugar to his coffee and starts a new search for a spoon.

Amber bounces in, annoying me immediately with her cheerfulness. My powers are turned up high enough that she doesn't take note of me (thankfully). "Hey, Jacob, finding everything OK?"

"Uh, spoon?" he asks, turning to face her. I don't recognize him from this angle either.

Amber laughs and opens the drawer across the island from me. She's two feet away, facing me, and still oblivious. Ha. I still got it.

"Who's our guest?" I ask.

She lets out a short scream of surprise and jumps, pulling the silverware drawer out of place. Telekinetically she stops it before it smashes to the floor. "Damnit, Cougar!" she yells at me. I smile as she calms herself, "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough ta know his name's Jacob, he drinks his coffee black with sugar and that someone warned him not ta use my coffee cup." The man in question raises his chosen cup in a salute but I ignore him. "But that really doesn't tell me who he is."

"Doesn't that tell you a lot of who I am?" His hazel eyes scrunch up slightly like he's trying not to smile and he reaches around Amber to pluck a spoon from the still floating drawer as she puts it away. "I mean, you know how I like my coffee and that I'm a guy who doesn't want to get his butt kicked by a chick."

I narrow my eyes at him, "Did you just call me a chick?"

"OK," Amber steps in between us, "Good morning, Cougar."

Jacob laughs, "You guys weren't kidding about her." Looking back to me he explains, "Kind of feisty, aren't you? Not that that's a bad thing, I mean strong women do have a certain…appeal."

"Heh," Amber laughs nervously and says from the side of her mouth, "That's not helping, buddy." She turns back to me and says, "This is Jacob."

"Nice to meet you, Cougar," he holds out his hand, smiling. "I've heard all sorts of things about you."

I give the hand a dubious look until he shrugs and goes back to sticking it in his pocket, unfazed.

"New question," I stare at Amber, "What's he doing here?"

"He's, uh," she makes a pained expression, like she's about to say something that I won't like.

"I'm going to be your sister's body guard," he butts in. "Just until she's done with her press conference, then I'm back here and on your team, apparently."

Now I make the face, "Uh, _apparently_ I missed an important meeting," I look accusingly at Amber.

"We wanted to make sure you were getting enough rest," she explains.

I shake my head, "I don't even know this guy, I'm not puttin' some stranger in charge of her."

"Logan recommended him." She says this like it'll make things better while getting her own cup of coffee and not looking at me.

"Ok, but I wanted someone with experience and training. He's not on one of the other teams, I know that much. And he's too old to be one of the students, even if he just graduated."

"Um, hi," he raises his hand slightly, "I'm right here. Why don't you talk to me, instead?"

I sigh loudly.

"How about I get you a cup of coffee, Cougs?" Amber offers, still cheery. "Then you can _get_ to know him and it won't be that big of a deal."

"I can _get_ my own coffee," I scowl at her, leaving my stool. "Don't start that whole mother hen crap again."

"Then I won't." She rolls her eyes at my grumpiness, "You're just a little too cheerful in the morning for me, anyway." To the new guy she advises, "Just holler if you need anything…she won't really hurt you."

She doesn't hear me mutter, "I will if he don't move outta the way of my coffee."

He moves over just enough to save his own life but continues leaning against the counter. "So it must be the whole 'feral' thing that makes you so warm and welcoming."

"Nope, that's just my charming personality," I pour some cream and use my claw as a spoon. Less dirty dishes…it's not an intimidation strategy... I take a drink then ask, "So why did Wolverine recommend you?"

"Well," he looks like he's thinking it over, "I imagine it's because he thinks I'll do a good job."

"I assume that if they told ya not ta use my coffee cup, then they also told ya that I'm not the kinda person ta get cute with in the mornings."

He smiles jauntily at me, "Conversations are give and take. You gotta give a little if you want to get a little."

"Give a little…" I ponder his phrasing as I take another sip of coffee. "OK, how's this," I stare at him unemotionally while giving him the threat, "if anything happens ta my little sister while she's under yer protection, I'm gonna remove yer left testicle." I turn to leave the kitchen. I need to have a serious conversation with Wolverine.

He lets out a short laugh at my threat and says to my back, "Nice chat, Cougar. See you around."

I actually know where to find him this time. He's my sub, after all. I walk into my dojo to see the class sparring. I usually have them do drills in the beginning, but I guess he can ruin my entire schedule if he wants. He's watching a girl and boy grapple poorly with each other but looks up when I stand next to him and frown at the two.

"Shilah, stop bein' so easy on him. Ya aint gonna hurt him, he absorbs the attacks."

The girl looks to me, nods, and grimaces as she makes her punches and kicks more powerful. She's kind of a meek one, that girl.

"What's up," Wolverine asks, moving on to the next pair.

"The body guard?" I ask, assuming he'll fill in the blanks.

"Stop watchin' yer feet," he orders one boy. To me he says, "Yea, he got in early this morning. Jake."

"Ok, but who is he?"

"His dad used ta be an old war buddy of mine. The guy taught his son everything there was ta know about keepin' yer cool in a fight; and winning that fight. When his kid turned out ta be a mutant, he made sure that he learned how ta keep his powers under control too. But he just got another one. He has flashes of the future, no more'n a couple minutes before it happens, but his dad couldn't help him with it. It was driving the kid nuts so he sent Jake ta New York a couple months ago. Got a handle on his powers, and he's just kinda been hangin' around. He's already got his schooling done, some Law Enforcement degree, I think, so it's not like he had anything ta do there. Figured he'd fit yer criteria."

See, now _that's_ what I wanted to know when I asked 'who is he'. Why couldn't anyone else just tell me that? "Is he being added ta the team?"

We move to another set of sparing students, "Yea, him and another kid."

I shake my head, "There's _another_ one? Doesn't anyone include me in on this crap? Who's this one now?

"Aint my fault ya weren't called ta the meeting. Go talk ta yer team leader if ya need specifics on that one. I just called in Jake."

"I thought you said we didn't need anymore team members."

"Well that was before Dragon quit and Amber stood up against Summers. If yer gonna be an independent team, yer gonna need more'n four people."

"Well the original X-Men was only made of four people," I quote Cyclops.

He finally turns his scowl on me, "You gonna stick around and teach this class cuz I got better things ta do, kid."

"I'm goin', I'm goin'. Kicked outta my own class," I grumble for the sake of grumbling. I don't really want to stay.

I know where to find Amber too, she's teaching a telekinetic class. It's pretty fun to watch if you get the chance. Things go flying around the room. I knock loudly on the door—it's not safe to startle this class.

"Cougar," Amber looks at me curiously, "Is that cup at least half empty?"

I show her the bottom of my coffee cup, "It's all empty."

"Ok, well, since you're not so grumpy; what's up?"

"I wanna know who the new team members are." Hey, she's busy, I have to get straight to the point or she'll use me in one of her lectures. Levitate the Cougar to save your life, kids…

"I have anticipated your request. Their files are waiting for you on the Round Table, along with the notes from the meeting that you missed this morning." She nods, pleased with herself, "Happy?"

I grunt without really answering her. I can be unpleasant if I want. She shouldn't have excluded me from the meeting.

Down in the Conference Room, I start by looking over the meeting log. Lets see…The old X-Men announced our succession by passing the 'ultimate test' (direct quote from Cyclops); explained that we're not under their direct orders or whatever; introduced new members; decided to start team training when Jacob returns from Montana…and blah, blah, blah about teaching classes and scheduling without Joseph…adjournment. Ok then.

I open the new guy's folder.

Randall Potter, aka Stopwatch (Who comes up with these names?). He can stop inanimate objects for indefinite periods of time. Ok, sounds cool enough. He just graduated a semester early from the New York school, 18 years old, from some dinky town in West Virginia; recruited by Rogue when he was 16.

Well. He doesn't sound too bad. A bit young, and inexperienced, but I guess we can polish up his training here. On to the next.

Jacob MacWallace from Calgary, Alberta. No code name listed. He has control over electricity and can form force fields with it. Also has short-term premonitions. Graduated from military school at 17, went to a police academy and graduated at 21. He went to the New York school at 23 to gain better control of his premonition powers after a brief stint at a psychiatric hospital.

Read of the devil, Jacob comes through the door as I flip through the next couple of pages. "Oh, hey, Cougar, right?" he grins crookedly at me.

I grunt back.

Looking over my shoulder, he says, "You know, you don't have to look through that. I'll tell you anything you want to know." He leans on the table to my right, hovering in my personal space, "All you have to do is ask."

"Yea, but that would entail talkin' to ya," I answer, still skimming over the pages. Transcripts with straight A's…except in Algebra; psychic evaluations from Frost; I look over his fighting skills evaluation more closely. "This leaning over me thing is some kinda intimidation attempt, right?"

"Heh," he pulls away but sits in the seat next to me, putting his feet up on the table. "Does it work?"

I glance up, "Have you met Wolverine?" he nods, not catching my drift, "Compared ta him, yer just a lil' school boy. One who," I hand him his transcript, "has a hard time with Algebra."

He barely looks at the paper before handing it back, "Math's really not my thing."

"Mmm," I frown at the skill evaluation. He's good. I mean, not Wolverine good, and I could still kick his butt easily enough, but he's pretty good for a guy who hadn't trained at the school. "What's yer codename?"

"Don't have one," he sits back up and starts drumming his fingers on the table.

"Well you'll have ta get one." I look from his drumming to him and he stops.

"Some people call me Jake…or how about Mac?" he offers, leaning back in his chair.

"Those aren't codenames." I reorganize the papers and close the folder.

"I know. I was joking. You know, ha ha?" he stares at me earnestly.

Shrugging back, I stack the folders, "It wasn't a funny joke." Groaning, I struggle to get to my feet. These wounds are stiff early on, but by mid-morning, they start to remind me they're there.

Jacob/Jake/Mac gets to his feet too and puts a hand at my elbow to help.

Pulling away I inform frostily, "I don't need help gettin' up."

"Sorry," he holds up his hands, "Of course not. How'd you get hurt?"

I file the folders and meeting log. Laura's probably awake by now; I should go see her before she leaves, "I got myself killed," I answer him, my mind on other matters.

"Excuse me?" he asks. "That sounds like an interesting story."

"It's not."

When I get to the door, Jake inquires, "Leaving already? But we were just starting to connect."

"No we weren't."

He calls out to my back, following me, "Hey, what about Bob? That's an original code name."

"That's still not funny," I call back without stopping. He laughs anyway. Just what I need, another happy person tramping all over my grouchy.

Laura's in the guest room, blaring the radio and dancing slightly while curling her hair. "Hey," she answers my knock on the door frame, "You guys got awesome radio channels here."

"I guess," I move onto the more important topic, "Yer body guard's here. His name's Jacob; he went to military school and graduated from a police academy. He should be OK."

"I'll take that as a compliment," he says from the door way.

I'm immediately annoyed that he was listening in on our conversation. Who does that? Laura doesn't pick up my feelings as she strides up to him, smiling her beaming smile, and holds out her hand. "Hi, I'm Laura. You must be Jacob. Jake?" she inquires.

"Yea, Jake works," he shakes her hand and notes, "You're much more welcoming than your sister."

"Oh, yea, she's a little territorial." She moves over to hug me (and annoy me). I make a face but allow it as she asks, "So what are your gifts?"

"Gifts?" he looks lost at the choice of words. He must not have had many conversations with Xavier.

"She means powers," I explain, pulling away from her embrace.

"Oh. I've got an _electric_," he hold up his hand and little blue sparks shoot between his fingertips, "personality. And I have three minute-in-advanced premonitions."

"Cool." She turns back to me, "You know, he's kinda cute."

I give her a look (she knows what look), "He's yer bodyguard."

"So? I can still say he's cute."

"And," he butts back in, "like your sister, you talk about people as if they weren't right in front of you."

She shrugs with a smile but keeps talking to me, "I gotta be at the airport soon. Do you have any make up?"

"Under the sink in my bathroom," I wave down the hall and she bounces off in that direction.

"You wear makeup?" Jake asks surprised and leans in closer to study my face.

"No," I push him back, "I said I _have_ makeup. Its used for recruitments and press conferences that I never go to because of y powers, making said make up infrequently used."

"You know," he's smiling that cocky smile again, "Everyone told _me_ that you talked like a country hick. That wasn't very redneck sounding."

I actually smile at his choice of words, "Just cuz I was raised in the country don't mean I can't be articulate when I feel like it. 'Sides, even Twain said that you can be ungrammatical if ya come from the right part of the country."

"Twain, huh? I didn't think that Montanan's read all that much." I think he's teasing.

"Well I didn't think that Canadians could carry on a conversation without it being riddled with 'Aye's but here we are. Learn somethin' new everyday."

He nods back, "So I have to know, are you always this hostile, or is it just me?"

"Hostile?" I smirk back at him, "You haven't seen me hostile yet. This is me annoyed, maybe even just tired. You'll know when I get ta hostile."

"Sounds like I joined a fun team."

"You have no idea," I mutter as Laura joins us again.

"K, I'm ready. Are you driving us?"

"Yea, I guess. We'll take a school vehicle." I love my truck but it's a bit cramped with more than one passenger. I lead them to the garage and a nifty little car with our school emblem on the front doors. Very official.

I drive to the airport, say goodbye to my sister and re-issue my previous threat to Jacob and stay long enough to see the plane leave the runway.

Her interview is supposed to be on the news tonight. I pace the school all day waiting for it to come on.

XXXXXXXX

OK, that was one of my WORST endings to a chapter. I know it, so don't bother criticizing it. Anyway, I rushed to get this chapter out b/c the next couple weeks are gonna be hectic for me with finals and graduation and moving and starting my summer job, so I'm not sure when the next one will be up, but I am writing it so that's a start, yea? Review, as always. Thanks guys!


	22. Chapter 22

**Review Replies:**

Yorushihe: Wow, you've got some review there. WOOT to the new reviewers. I'm glad you like the chapter and I appreciate you letting me know that Cougar hasn't gone all Mary-Sue. Its hard to have OC's now days with unique powers, so I just threw a bunch together for her and ended up adding a few of the cooler ones so she wasnt so boring. Anyway, review reply is bad because it's after 1 AM here. Thanks for the review tho and keep reading. I've got another sequel in mind.

Yeaaa: WOOT to another new reviewer. I love to hear how people get hooked to my fic's and end up reading both non-stop. It's like I'm addicting or something :D. Anyway, I try to keep Cougs original and cool, so I'm glad its still working that way. OK, keep reviewing and reading (of course) and sorry if this chapter came so late.

Winter Warrior: Well goodness gracious, I hope you actually WANT to read these stories. Why else would you? Like cougar, I've got a MonDak accent. If I'm trying to be all matter of fact or proving my intelligence, I'll speak, proper grammar; but if I feel like putting someone down or joking around or if I'm just in a good mood it seems my 'drawl' is a little more pronounced. Thanks for reviewing!

Wolf: Man I'm tired. I'm doing these review replies after Erica's wedding. It's after 1AM. But I wanted to get this done while I have some reliable wireless. I'm still writing a lot at work during lunch. That's all I got. I'm tired. I like the Jacob guy too.

VballMania23: Thanks for the happy graduation. Now if only I could find a real job and not my usual summer one...Yea, I'm not too sure what I'm going to be doing with this new Jacob guy. I just kinda needed him to be a body guard, but I think now he's going to stick around. It's weird, I'm the author but often enough, things turn out in surprising ways even to me.

**Quote: ** The man who smiles when things go wrong has thought of someone to blame it on. - Robert Bloch

**Chapter 22**

"_I think it's horrible," Laura answers the reporter's question, "It's unconstitutional and, frankly, a little scary that there are people out there who thinks its OK to do something like this. Our current president gave no comment on this issue. But this happened to me. I'm not an issue, I'm a person and, apparently, the new face of mutant inequality. I challenge the president to answer _my_ questions: What are you going to do about this? How are you going to prevent this from happening again to someone who won't be as fortunate as I to get out of the situation?"_

"_How did you leave the hospital if you were so heavily sedated and under 'lock and key'?" a male reporter shouts above the buzz of the crowd._

"_I was rescued by a team of mutants that have been officially labeled outlaws and vigilantes."_

"_What were the names of these vigilantes?"_

"_I'm not at liberty to say, but their rescue of me was quiet and peaceful--"_

"HA!" I laugh at her choice of words coming from the TV, getting shushed by Ana.

"_Do you blame normal humans for your ordeal?"_

"_Do I 'blame' them? No. I blame the systems that have lead them to believe that doing this was allowable," she pauses to glance to her right at Jacob,who had taken a slight step back to shake his head._

"_What's your next step?" a woman asks._

"_Well, Oprah called..." she jokes, getting laughs, "But I plan on talking. I'm not going away until something is done about--" She lets out a shriek as Jacob swings around in front of her, creating a blue shield of electricity around them and stopping a bullet in it's path._

I sit up straight on the couch with a growl. The small TV room fills with the screams of reporters coming from the TV. The camera goes wild as more shots ring out and the camera guy hits the ground and fiddles with it to get a shot of the podium where Jake's pinning Laura to the ground and looking pointedly in one direction. Police shout back and fourth and a moment later the chief takes the stage, saying something to Jake who lets Laura up and leads her away. To the crowd he says, "All right folks, we're done here—No comment!" he barks as they start firing questions at him.

"I knew it," I mutter. "Stupid martyr crap." I turn down the news.

"He stopped the bullet," Conner points out, patting my shoulder.

"Yea. This time."

"Well, this was going to be the only press conference that she was going to do out in the open. She'll be fine now. And she said her spooks would help keep an eye out for her," Ana tries to comfort me.

Crossing my arms over my stomach, I scowl deeper, "I still don't like it."

"We know, Cougar," Conner pats me again.

I sigh, then yawn, "I'm goin' ta bed."

"Night Cougar," the couple calls out simultaneously.

By the time I get to my room, the phone's ringing. I answer despite my tiredness because I know that its Laura. "Hello?"

Jake's on the other end, "See, nothing happened to her."

"She was shot at. That's something."

"You sound tired. Are you feeling OK?"

I almost answer him but then remember that I'm supposed to be talking to my sister, "Put Laura on."

"Calla?" Laura comes on in a second.

"You all right?" I climb into bed.

"Yea, wasn't that cool?" she actually sounds excited.

"No. You were goin' ta be assasinated." I remind her.

"Yea, but I wasn't. It was great, it really got my point across. Swear to God, Oprah's producers called! And the people from that 60 Minutes show and the MSNBC guy. I've been getting offers all night and its only been 20 minutes since the conference!"

"And these are all good things?"

"It's GREAT! How can congress and the president continue to ignore everything after all this? They can't! Oh, Mom's calling on the other line, I'll talk to you later, love you, bye!"

She hangs up before I can say anymore. I sigh and do the same. Nothing more I can do; I saved her. The rest of her life is up to her, I guess...

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

I wake up from a nightmare featuring Creed and swarms of flies that were eating my insides. Weird. After lying in bed for another hour and staring at the ceiling, I sigh and get up. My stomach's growling; might as well feed it.

I leave the lights off as I rummage through the kitchen and finally settle on a bagel with cream cheese and a glass of juice.

Just as I put the juice back into the fridge, the lights flicker on. "Oh, its you." Jake says. "What are you doing in the dark?"

I sit at the island with my food and answer, "I can see in the dark."

"Really?" he seems surprised.

"Yea. Didja just get back?"

"Yep, Logan picked me up. That little jet is way faster than commercial."

"Mhm."

Wolverine comes in behind him, making a bee line for the sink, "Hey kid."

I turn to watch as he opens the cupboard below the sink, moves some cleaning supplies and pulls out a beer bottle. "What the hell is that?" I demand around a mouthful of food.

"Beer. Want one?"

"No--"

"Jake?"

"Sure."

He grabs another out of the mini cooler and slides it across the island to the other man.

"Yer not supposed ta have beer here. What if one of the kids found it?"

Logan scoffs at me, "What kid's gonna look through the cleaning supplies?"

I shake my head and turn back to my food. "Yer gonna teach him bad habits," I finally grumble, gesturing with my glass toward Jacob.

"What?" he asks, "Do _you _follow all the rules?"

"No," Logan answers for me taking a stool.

"I follow the important ones," I answer for myself, glaring at the older man.

He snorts, "Yer still supposed ta be in the MedLab, kid. And I bet ya stayed a whole five minutes down there before ignorin' Hank's rule by leaving.

I give him a dirty look. "Well that's a dumb rule." When Jake laughs I growl, "Pipe down, you."

"Hey," Wolverine points a finger at me, "Play nice, Cougar."

"Yea, I was going to ask if she's always been this pleasant or if it was just me?"

"Naw, she just didn't know you were comin' so she's a bit territorial," he explains.

I try to justify myself, "At least I didn't pin him ta the wall and threaten ta rip out his throat like _someone_ I know..."

"You were at the mansion ta kill Xavier."

"Oh I was not," I roll my eyes.

"You seem to be full of interesting stories, Cougar," the newbie leans across the counter to smile at me, "Care to tell some?"

Even Wolverine snorts as I answer, "Ya want stories, check out the library. My life's my business."

He smiles and shrugs taking another drink from his beer bottle.

I finish my bagel but feel even more awake than before. Sleep won't be easy tonight.

We're all quiet for awhile until Logan asks, "So what're ya doin' up this late?" I'd've thought the girls woulda sent ya ta bed a long time ago."

He gets an eye roll for the comment, "Yea, if they don't back off pretty soon, I'm gonna need a vacation of my own."

"Not my problem anymore."

"Woot ta that," I mutter, "Not that I didn't like havin' all o' ya breathin' down our necks." Getting to my feet I put the dirty dishes in the sink and check the time. 2 A.M. Not too bad. I start out the window above the sink and through the trees.

"So what do I need to know about being an X-Man?" Jake asks Wolverine.

"Team work. Late Nights. Hard Work. Bigots. Scared Kids. List goes on."

"If ya ask Cyclops," I say from the sink, "He'll tell ya Honor Couragae Commitments, Loyalty and the American Dream."

Wolverine's window reflection shrugs, "It all adds up. You'll figure it out sooner or later."

"When's training start tomorrow?" I ask.

"Nine in the morning," Jake answers just as Wolverine says, "Ya ain't goin'."

"Beast says I'm healin' up."

"Ya pulled half yer stitches yesterday. Yer not healed enough."

I turn to him, "You made me train with a broken arm."

Jake interrupts us, "You know, I've always found it safer not to argue with this guy."

I barely glance at him before Wolverine points out, "That was when I was teachin' ya that you'll still have ta fight when yer hurt. You've learned that lesson by now."

With a scowl I turn back to the window and a movement catches my eye. My stomach flip flops as I think, 'Creed?'. Immediately I annoy myself. Its not Creed. It's a cat. It's my cat. I go to the door and call to it quietly, "Charlie...here kitty kitty kitty..." the tabby cat comes as far as poking his nose into the door to sniff. Once he catches wiff of the 'strangers' Wolverine and Jake, he turns tail and slinks back through the dark. Charlie was a stray that I picked up a year ago. He doesn't like other people.

"Yer not 'spose ta have pets here," Logan finishes his beer.

I roll my eyes and close the door, "Yea. Cuz that's the one rule that I've ALWAYS followed."

The guys start talking but I wander away from the kitchen. After a slow walk-through of the Hotel I wind up in the conference room. Sometimes when I can't sleep, I come here and go through old files of bad guys, watch news clips of battles and bore myself to sleep. Booting up the computer, I pick a file at random and begin there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

A coffee cup placed next to where I'm laying my head wakes me up. Though the bearer of caffeine tried to set it down gently, I still jump awake.

Blinking and rubbing my eyes with the heels of my palms, I sit up and look around. Conference room? The computer screen's gone black with a screen saver bouncing around. Oh yea.

Jake leans over and moves the mouse, "Morning sleeping beauty." The screen wakes up on some snake-looking lady named Viper that was before my time. "Is this what you do for fun?"

I cover my mouth as I yawn, "No." Taste testing the coffee I find it acceptable," thanks," I mumble. Waving his hand away from the mouse, I close down the computer, "What time is it?"

"Almost nine."

"Shouldn't you be suitin' up?"

"Yea, probably. But those costumes you guys wear aren't really my style."

"Uniforms," I correct. "And they ain't exactly mine either, but ya gotta wear them. They're flame retardant and..." I mind blank this early in the morning, "...and a buncha other good stuff." Drink coffee. Drink coffee.

Amber comes in, "There you are," and throws a uniform to Jake, who catches it with one hand. "Put that on and be in the Danger room in five minutes or I'm sending Logan after you." Ooh, bossy much? She notices me as I put my mug back down. "Cougar? When did you get up? Ana went to check on you at, like, seven and you were gone."

"I don't have ta teach, do I?" Notice how I avoid her question so that she can't freak out about the answer.

"No, we were just checking in on you. Scottt and Emma are filling in any classes while Wolverine runs the Danger Room session. You can watch from there if you want."

"Really? Gee, thanks, chief," I drool sarcasm. I take my cup with me and I leave her to say something about my tone.

An hour later, I emerge from the shower with my bandages taped to me to prevent them from getting wet. Its a hassel, but easier than getting new ones every time. I'll admit, I considered going and watching them train, but then I'd have to stay in the control room and make everyone else happy. SO not happening.

My pager goes off , scaring me as I leave my bedroom. It's Lisa. Briefly I'm annoyed that she might be putting me in charge of a class or something. Oh well, it's not like I'm doing anything else, really. Mannerly of me, I knock on her door before letting myself in.

"Miss Cougar," she greets me, "have a seat, please."

SEE! I told you she offers me seats if I knock and don't scare her!!

I sit and she hands me a folder. Opening up, I see a news paper clipping with the headline 'Freaks Among Us!' (how over-used) and a blurry picture of someone running across a duck pond. The photo is too blurry to make out sex or age. There's also a letter of acceptance from t he school and a permission note from a lady whose signature I can't read. I look questioningly to Lisa.

"His name is Kyle Lehr. He's fourteen years old and just dropped out of his highschool when he developed mutant powers."

"OK...so what?"

"He's been accepted to this school; approved by both Ms. Frost and I; his mother and father have signed a release to give us guardianship. However, after receiving his acceptance letter, young Mr. Lehr...abruptly left home with no notice to his parents.

"Ya mean he ran away from home cuz he didn't want his parents to send him away to a mutant school."

She hesitates, "Yes."

"Again, so what?"

"Ms. Frost has located him and I would appreciate it if you went down town to talk to him."

"Down town?" I imply that she should elaborate.

"He was picked up last night by the police on false charges."

"Because he's a mutant," I say for her.

"Yes." No hesitance this time. "He needs to be bailed out and we'd like someone to convince him that this is a safe haven for mutants, not a prison."

"OK, but I'm not really a recruitment officer...Kids aren't my thing, I scare them, ya know?" I hold up my claws as a visual.

She slides a clear colored photo across the desk to me, "That's precisely the reason why you're on the case."

Picking up the photo, I see what she means. His skin in covered in scales the size of tack heads with irredescent blue coloring. His hair was long and black along with his eyes and the photo just barely showed a webbed hand.

"Powers? Or just the looks?"

"That was him who was photographed running across the water. I'm not sure of any others. He wouldn't speak to anyone on the phone and refuses to discuss his mutations with his parents."

"OK, but don't you usually send Amber on these kinda cases? She's good with the whole relating to physical mutation stuff."

Lisa sighs, "She's been a tad overwhelmed lately with all of the new responsibilities. Besides, you're not busy with classes or training."

Oh. Yea. Throw that in my face..."OK, but someone else has ta go. I'm not exactly welcomed at the local cop shop.""

She looks pleased that I've accepted the task. Like I really had a choice. "I recommend taking one of your new team members with you, if not both. They'll need to learn how we recruit students to help in the future.

"Fine. Gimme ten minutes and have who ever meet me down in the garage." I go to my room, put on a clean pair of jeans that wasn't full of holes and a black t-shirt with the encircled X emblem on the left. Running a brush through my hair and throwing on some makeup. I'm ready and waiting on the hood of the schools car in seven minutes. I'm so high maintenance.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

OK guys, I'm actually working on the last CHAPTER!! WOOHOO!! I bought this book of a collection of single comics and it's about the Civil War (I've gotten the Wolverine Civil War too but was a little lost in that). Anyway, it totally got my creative X-Men juices flowing, so Im pretty sure that I'm gonna go for a third fic. Cool or are you guys getting sick of Cougar?

Off topic: What ever happened to Proud to be an X-Nerd...?


	23. Chapter 23

**Review Replies: (short cuz I got a date)**

Proud to be an X-Nerd: Nope. Didn't get your other reviews. Thought you stopped liking Cougar...NOT. As for Laura, I couldn't kill her off. Too much drama. And it'd be too sad. Now Jake on the other hand, yea, I wanted someone who could kinda counteract her grumpy. I know Amber's fun too, but I dunno, I wanted someone new without a common past. Strangers can be fun.

Winterwarrior: well I'm glad your so excited. Oh, and proud to be an x-nerd is...above you. Been MIA the last few chapters so just wondering where they were off to.

Yeaa: I write another one you gotta read ?

Freak a Leak: glad you loved it.

Chaos Mencer: thanks

Yorushihe: I like lazy too.

Dusel: Well, I'm working on the third story. I write, you must review. Deal? Also, question: Who of the X-Men still have their powers after the M-Day crap? Did that go through all of the universes? Like Uncanny and Astonishing and Ultimate and what ever else?

VballMania: I like your reviews. Short and sweet. New story on the way. You must review it tho.

**Quote:** (After being asked to move because he was blocking the fire exit) If you're flammable and got two legs, you are NOT blocking the fire exit. --Unknown comedian.

**CHAPTER 23**

I said I'd be ready in 10 minutes. It took me only seven. I have to wait an extra ten before anyone shows up in the garage.

"Yer late," I accuse when I hear the door opening. I move to the drivers side and make a face when I hear the voice of Jake.

"Aren't women supposed to be the ones who take forever getting ready?"

"Lets go," I order, slipping on my sunglasses and getting in the car.

Jake takes shotgun and someone else gets into the back. I turn to see an unfamiliar kid with red curly hair and blue eyes smiling widely.

"Hi," he says, holding out his hand between the two front seats. "I'm Randall. You must be Cougar; we missed you in training this morning."

"New kid. Right," I nod to his hand. I'm not being rude, mind you. My right hand is busy starting the car and it would hurt to twist in that direction anyway. I can see his face fall from the rear view mirror.

"Aw, come on, Cougar," Jacob reprimands me, "At least pretend to be friendly." He turns in his seat, "She's rude to newbies."

I sigh, "Seat belts."

It takes far too long to get to the police station. Randall is very talkative. He seems to want to impress me or something. I read his file, which is pretty much what he's regurgitating. He's got some skills, but he's had next to nothing when it comes to field work. He went from his comfy home to the comfy school, trained mostly in the Danger Room, then was sent here. Sure, the Danger Room at the New York school is wicked high tech and can make everything look and feel real, it still has that fail safe where it can't kill you. Real life stuff doesn't have that. Bad guys will kill you.

FINALLY we pull up to the front of the police station and I hand Randall a white envelope filled with cash. "Bail money," I explain. "The kid's name is Kyle Lehr. Introduce yourself as an associate from the Denver Branch of Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Explain to him before you get outside that all we'll do is give him a ride to where ever he wants to go. He doesn't have to go home or to the school if he don't want. Once he's in the car, then we'll start explaining to him about Xavier's. When you do get him outside, he might try to run. Use yer powers if ya have to, but be sure to emphasis that we're just giving him a ride." Big list of instructions, huh?

"Wait, I'm going in alone?" Randall sounds a bit nervous, "But I thought you'd..."

"They'll arrest me if I go in there. Besides, you look young enough to be one of his friends bailing him out. You'll be fine."

He nods and slides out of the car with the cash. Halfway up the steps, he glances back at us. What's he want, a thumbs up?

Once he's through the big glass doors, I shake my head.

"Cut the kid some slack, he's trying to earn your approval."

"Why?" I turn back to him.

"Well," he leans the car seat back some more, "Logan's not really one to brag. So when he tells me that you guys are the best sub-team they've trained, its most likely true."

"OK, so?"

"So, being put onto this team's gotta put some pressure on the kid, right?"

"What's that gotta do with me, specifically?" No one gives me direct answers anymore.

"You see, I've kinda got this,not all together untrue reputation of being a...womanizer...of sorts."

I roll my eyes and look back to the front of the station.

He continues, "So when I got here, one of the first things Logan told me was to 'behave' around you."

I'm a little annoyed, "Could we maybe get back ta the original point?"

"That is the point. He didn't threaten me about anyone else. If you don't like the kid, Logan has the authority to boot him because you're opinion matters. You're the teacher's favorite."

I look at him like he's insane. "Boy are you ever off. Up until recently, the guy hated me."

"Logan? No. He's just got a gruff exterior. He's all gooey on the inside."

I laugh, turning back to my window vigil, "Call him that to his face and he'll show you how gooey yer insides are."

"Hey, I'm just telling you what I've seen. You know, the outsider's observations. So lighten up on the kid, OK?"

"So if I don't like you, you'll go away too?" I smile as I say this but don't turn so he can see. Who cares if I hurt his feelings. Like I said before, add-ons to this team never last.

He laughs now, "Oh, you can't get rid of me that easy."

"Pity," I reply dryly just as I spot Randall and Kyle come out of the station together. "Huh," I grunt.

"What?" Jake asks, leaning in close to look out my window too.

"The kid's not a runner. That's refreshing."

"Are they usually?" he asks as Kyle slides into the back seat.

I don't have time to answer. Randall closes the door and gets into the other side.

"I aint goin' to no stupid school for muties," is the first thing that comes out of the kid's mouth.

From the rear view mirror, I see him slouch low in the seat with his arms crossed. "Where do ya wanna go?"

He looks back at me through the mirror, trying to read the truth in my eyes and getting blocked by the sunglasses. "The park."

"Good." I shift the car into drive, "I like parks."

Of course there's more than one park in the city of Denver, but I maneuver through traffic to the closest one that I know of. "You've already met Randall. This over here," I nod to the passenger's seat, "Is Jake and I'm Cougar--"

"What a stupid name," the kid mutters from the back.

"Well, at the time that I'd changed it, I was on a slave island and it seemed to fit."

This seems to peak everyone's attention in the car.

"What kinda slave island?" the boy asks a little suspiciously.

"One for mutants." I resist laying on my horn. I hate city driving.

"Did those robot things attack it?"

"Sentinels," I correct him tightly. Sentinels have been officially banned in the U.S. for four years and out of favor for a couple years before that. My team had had little interaction with them, but Wolverine did take us on a mission to Russia where they were still in use. There, the mutant-hunting robots weren't set to stun and capture but to kill. My team wasn't ready for it. But in hindsight, that was probably one of the reasons why we're a good sub-team now. Wolverine took us out into the field a lot. "No," I get my mind back into the car, knowing that I'd taken too long in my answer, "the sentinels didn't have anything ta do with it, but Xavier's school did close it down.

The kid huffs and I hear him mutter, "This again..."

"Yup, this again." I pull into a parking lot and turn off the car, "'Cept this time yer gonna pay attention."

"Why should I?" such hostility...

I get out of the car, but lean back in to say, "Cuz we just bailed ya outta jail, that's why."

Kyle gets out and slams the door angrily, "That wasn't my fault! I didn't do nothing!"

"Tough break, but that's how the world is these days. Not too nice ta mutants."

"What do you know about it?" he calls me out, "You can pass for normal. You're not a freak."

I laugh enough to give him a glimpse of my teeth and pull my shades down with a curved claw so that he can see my feline eyes too, "Don't be too sure of that. Ya think its easy for me ta walk around like this?" That shuts him up. Both Randall and Jake come around the other side of the car to join me and I push my sunglasses backup, "Lets go for a walk. Its a nice day."

I walk slightly ahead of the boys and ask, "So Kyle, what do ya like ta do?"

He shrugs, "I dunno..."

I switch questions, "Why don't ya wanna go ta school?"

"Cuz my parents are just trying to get rid of their mutant freak son."

"Hm," I nod, "But if they'd just wanted ta get rid of ya, they wouldn't have called the school begging us ta find you. Yer parents love you. They're just confused about the current mutant issues."

"They called you?" he asks surprised.

"Mhm," I nod and side step a skate boarder. After letting him mull some of this over I ask, "So what have you heard about Xavier's School?"

"There's like, four of them and they accept mutants."

I nod again. "We accept primarily mutants. Here at the Denver Branch of Xavier's you can earn yer high school diploma with excellent references inta almost any college. Or you can go ta school here up until yer Junior year and switch ta the head school in New York for more intense classes." Sounding like a brochure, I leave out that the 'intense classes' actually train kids to be X-Men. Not a lot of kids have been opting for that recently. I wonder why... "The school is also staffed exclusively by mutants. We can relate ta yer problems, plus you'll be taught how ta control yer gifts and use them wisely."

"Gifts?" he scoffs, "I don't have any gifts."

"You can walk on water?" I ask.

"Yea, so? That's not a gift."

"So I can walk on snow. Ya might not think its the most useful ability until ya find a specific need for it." Like a maniac wanting to kill you and chasing you through the Canadian forests, for instance. I don't say this out loud, but we're all thinking it, right?

"Yea, but I also look like a freak."

"Hey, one of the teachers has bright blue hair and hot pink skin. You could've ended up looking like that; I don't really see you as a pink-wearing guy." He doesn't say anything to that so I continue with my pitch. "At Xavier's you'll get yer own room. Meals are taken care of and you'll earn an allowance for anything else. Ya don't have to stay there if ya wanna stay somewhere else. There are rules, but they're simple 'n pretty hard to break." With me leading the group, we circled back to the car. "This ain't a do or die thing. Yer not locked in for life, either. If ya decide its not for you, you can take off and leave, but its still a pretty good deal for both now and for yer future." Closing line. How rehearsed.

Unlocking the car, I open the door and look back at him, "So? Ya wanna come? We can swing by yer house if ya want." We all stare at him.

The boy sighs, "Why not? I got nothing better to do."

I laugh as we get into the car, "That's what I said."

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I am impressed, Ms. Cougar," Lisa says outside of her office where I'd left Kyle in order to find her. "He was reluctant to even hear about the school." She gives me a coy look, "Perhaps you should recruit more often."

"Perhaps when _you_ recruit, you should talk _with_ the kids instead of _at_ them." Oh...that was a bit snippity sounding, wasn't it? I get a look for it too. "I'm just sayin'," I apologize in my own special way.

"Yes, well I appreciate you taking the time to get him and for training in Mr. MacWallace and Mr Potter in recruitment techniques."

"Yup," I nod and start walking away before she can think of something else for me to do. I'm not her errand boy...girl...what ever.

I go eat some lunch and sit in front of the TV for an hour. I call Laura and she answers long enough to tell me that she's on the other line with some publicists and that she'll try to call me later. I call my brother and get no answer. Same thing with both of my parents. I guess they're still at work. I call Wolf next but she only has time to tell me that she's fine, that people are pigs and that she's headed out on another mission and will call me later too. I flip through the channels, all 207 of them, and waste another half hour. I Am So Bored.

A/N: I have incredible writers block when it comes to this story. Really bad. And I think that its time to put this fic to bed but can't think of a good enough ending, so here's what I got. Sorry, I know its disappointing...

One of the students wanders in. Oh, its Kyle, "Hey kid, how's it going?"

I make him jump and gasp, "Whoa, you, like, came from nowhere..."

"Naw, I've been here for awhile. My other power, I go unnoticed."

"Cool."

Shrugging, I ask, "So does the school seem alright?"

"This place is friggin' awesome!." He tones down his enthusiasm, "But then again, classes could still suck."

I smile a little, "Don't worry. I'm on sick leave so they won't be too hard."

"You don't look sick."

I raise an eyebrow at his observation but explain, "I got hurt."

"Doing what? Being a superhero?" he challenges me to lie.

"So ya figured us out, huh?"

"You coulda used being the X-Men as a huge selling point."

I shake my head and turn off the T.V., "And if ya didn't wanna come ya coulda gone and blabbed that little tidbit ta the world. Its not too hard ta figure out, but we try ta keep it as quiet as possible. Got it?"

"No one would believe me if I told them. Besides, its not like you're the _original_ X-Men."

I force myself not to appear too juvenile with the student by rolling my eyes, and get up stiffly, "Well we were taught and trained by the _original_ X-Men, so just keep that in mind." Tossing him the remote, I leave the room. I need something to do; I'm going nuts.

I decide to take a walk and almost get to the back door when a voice inside my head stops me.

_'Could I perhaps see you and your teammates before--'_

Instinctively my mental shields shoot up. I freeze then relax a little and ask out lout, "Professor Xavier?"

My beeper vibrates on my belt, just about making me jump out of my skin. Its the conference room number. I almost run there, doubting my own sanity. Professor Xavier's supposed to be retired and traveling the world, doing the Mother Teresa thing with mutants, or off in another solar system with that alien chick of his.

But, sure enough, the conference room is packed with new and veteran X-Men and all of the teachers surrounding our old Professor and greeting him warmly (except Frost but that woman doesn't do anything warmly). A/N: I read in an Astonishing comic that the X-Men were mad at him because he imprisoned Danger or something, but I don't like that story line anyway or that House of M and 198 crap, so I'm ignoring it

I stand beside Wolverine so that someone knows I'm here with out me actually having to announce it. "What's goin' on?" I ask when he glances over.

"Looks like Chuck over there heard about yer team's graduation and stopped by ta congratulate ya."

"Cougar," the Professor walks over to greet me. I'm still weirded out by the Shi'ar technology that got him out of the hover chair. He smiles but his forehead is still wrinkled slightly after I shake his hand instead of hug him. "Your psychic shields blocked me from greeting you and I didn't want to pry. They've gotten stronger, I believe. Has your physical ability of going unnoticed increased as well?"

I look to Amber for an answer because I don't really keep records of that kind of stuff, but look back to answer, "I dunno, but I haven't had any problems or nothin'."

"Ah," he places a hand on my lower back to guide me to the table, but I step away slightly, bumping into Wolverine and making him move over too. Xavier continues unaffected. "And how are you feeling? It was quite an ordeal that you went through, or so I've heard."

"I'm fine," I answer while taking my seat. OK, so I'm not warmly greeting him either, but perspectively, he'd spent a lot more time with the veteran X-Men and teachers than my team. He'd always had an open door and a listening ear, but I'd never taken him up on the offer, tho my teammates had. Sorry, but I'm immune to most other psychics and the thought that he can force his way into my head if he wanted to freaks me out a little. Plus, when he was helping me build up my shields, he'd 'picked up' some of the less pleasant parts of my past and wanted to snoop a little more.

"Well," he stands at the head of the table and smiles at the room as a whole. "It brings me both joy and pride to see two generations of my X-Men continuing the dream of my school, a safe haven for the young mutants of today. You've all come so far, starting as my own students," he says this toward Cyclops and Beast, "then teaching the future. I know that this path that you all have chosen may not be the easiest, but you should all be proud of yourselves for if you had chosen another, so many would be lost without your guidance. I truly look forward to seeing the future good that you will do for this world."

His speeches are so much more inspiring than Cyclops'.

"Now," he rubs his hands together, "I believe that I was asked to give a lecture to the student body? Lisa has informed me that they've been assembled."

We all crowd out and regroup in the still demolished gym, tho most of the blood has been cleaned up, and listen to another inspiring speech along the same lines.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Xavier stays through dinner, getting to know the students and catching up with the faculty. At some point, I break apart from the group to get some fresh air and quietness. I just go out the back door to the gazebo. Apparently, I'm not alone in my quest for quiet. Jake's there, with – surprisingly – my cat Charlie. The cat notices my presence and greets me with a 'brrip?', alerting Jake. He moves over so I can sit on the bench.

Charlie crawls over to my lap."Where have you been slinkin' around all this time, darling boy?" I croon to him. Gimme an animal and all my macho disappears. I'm a softy for fuzzy.

"I thought you said he didn't like strangers," Jake asks, reaching over and scratching behind the cat's ears.

I shrug. "So what're you doin' out here?"

"He wasn't my teacher. I'm a little lost when the conversation is about some Storm or the Juggernaut. What about you?"

I reposition Charlie a little. This cat was in some serious need of attention. "Needed some air and a little less 'you're destined to save the world' atmosphere."

He watches me pet the cat, "So you don't believe in all that peace stuff?"

I think about it a moment. Charlie twists his body in odd ways, trying to get me to scratch certain spots. I answer quietly, "Xavier's original dream was a peaceful coexistence between mutant and human kind. He believes it can happen."

From the corner of my eyes I can see his brow crease slightly, "And you don't?"

I press my lips together, planning my choice of words. "It's pretty thinking, and I would love for it to happen. It might still for all I know, but at this time, I don't think its a for sure thing, ya know?"

"Then why be an X-Man?" he asks.

I think this one over too, looking out over the gardens that are mostly dead this late in the season. The birds are all quieting down, those that haven't migrated for warmer regions, and a die hard cricket chirps despite the cold. "Why be an X-Man?" I repeat his question, recollecting my thoughts, "Because I want his dream ta happen, and I'll work for it regardless of if it does or doesn't. It's better ta try ta help the world than ta sit and do nothin' as it burns down around us."

Charlie's purr is the only thing to listen to for awhile. Then Jake asks, "So you think the world's burning?"

I surprise myself by nodding without hesitation. "Sometimes it ain't bad. Some places ain't bad. But there's still smoke...Its just thicker in some areas."

Jake gives my leg a light slap. "You're very cynical." he finally decides. "Life's great for some people. And even for others, its great sometimes. You gotta count your blessings." He stares at me earnestly.

I grunt back. He's partly right. Life is what you make of it for most people. But its not for the superheroes, especially the mutant ones. We gotta look at the big picture. We gotta fight all the bad guys. "So what about you? You believe in the peace on earth, total tolerance hoopla?" I ask as cynically as possible.

Now he shrugs, "Hey, I came to the school because my only other option was solitary in a nut house. The school idea itself is great. Thats one thing your sister doesn't get." He leans in toward me as he explains, "Segregating mutant kids out of normal schools is important because mutant kids _aren't_ normal. They need to be in a safe place to learn how to use their powers responsively and most normal schools wouldn't be able to give them that."

"So you believe in Xavier's school." I sum up his answer, "Why not be a teacher then? Why sign on as an X-Man?"

He laughs lightly, "Well for one thing, teaching behind a desk is boring."

"Boring huh?" I smirk at him, "Something we agree on, I'll admit. But what's the other thing?"

He smiles broadly and holds open his hands in an over-exaggerated shrug, "Secondly the chicks dig the costumes."

I roll my eyes. "They're _uniforms_. Kids trick-or-treatin' wear costumes. We wear uniforms." When all I get is a smile from him, I lean back on the bench and watch the first few stars prick out of the darkening sky (how poetic, right?).

"Nice night," he says. Then, like a horrible after school special, he yawns while stretching his arms up and places them on the back of the bench, lightly touching my shoulders.

"Is that supposed ta be yer 'womanizer' move?" I cock an eyebrow at him. "Get yer arm offa me or you'll pull back a stump."

He laughs and shrugs.

"You tell 'im, kid," Wolverine's gruff voice says from behind us.

"Jesus, Logan!" Jake yells, whirling around and jumping with me as I snap, "Quit _doin_' that!" Charlie hisses and runs off.

Logan laughs a little, then turns serious, pointing a finger at the other man, "What'd I tell ya 'bout pullin' that crap?"

"Sorry," he says, pulling away from me like I was hot lava and holding his hands up in a mock, 'I surrender' motion.

"What crap?" I ask, tilting my head and knowing full well what he was talking about.

He doesn't buy it and instead stares at Jake, "Now what's he been tellin' ya?"

"Aw," I continue tauntingly, "he says ya like me."

"Yea, well he's full of shit."

I laugh out loud and smack Jake's arm, "See, I told ya. He's just a grumpy old man that don't like nobody."

"Damn straight," he growls. Jake just shakes his head.

"So what'd'ya want, grumpy old man?" I demand, "Ya scared away my cat."

"Chuck's leavin'. He wants ta say good bye ta everyone."

I sigh and push myself up.

Wolverine smacks the back of Jake's head, "You too."

"Hey," he gets up despite being obviously offended. "Why do I gotta go in there. He wasn't my mentor."

I walk ahead of them so Wolverine can't see me roll my eyes when he gives _his overused speech_-- respect your elders. But I also have to smile a bit. Despite being a full-fledged X-Man, life ain't too different.

--fin--

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

OK, so I expect many reviews on this cuz I always get bombarded when I put the "FINISHED" in the main description. I know, the ending is a little slow paced, but I wanted to have a recruitment somewhere in there and I also wanted to have her explain her values a little, so this is what I came up with. It was REALLY hard to work on this because I've got tons of ideas bouncing around in my head for the next fic, which I've already started, so....Yay me!

Thanks to all of the readers and reviewers (even if you didn't do both). I hope you enjoyed it and I also hope to see reviews from you in the next fic, tentatively entitled, Why I Left the X-Men. I know I totally just grabbed you with that, right?


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